Founded by Creager in 1992, they have long held true to their mission of enlightening the common man as to the power and versatility of the mighty cello. Historically influenced, and constantly costumed, Rasputina keeps a small legion of incredibly passionate admirers enthralled with their earnest musicianship. Considered to be quite a pioneer and visionary, Melora and her group have inspired countless young people to pick up the cello, and have re-inspired many uninspired string players. Rasputina considers this to be the finest payment for their work.
Professional involvements have included Nirvana, Ultra Vivid Scene, Marilyn Manson, Porno For Pyros, Belle and Sebastian,and Cheap Trick.
Former Members of Rasputina:
Julia Kent (89-99)
Kris Cowperthwaite (00-02)
Zoë Keating (02-06)
Sarah Bowman (06-08)
Jonathon TeBeest (00-08)
The 2 Miss Leavens
Rasputina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Each girl was 16 years old
Kylie died in a car crash in Iowa
Harriet in an 1815 portrait from Connecticut
Harriet's necklace and purse are lined in scarlet reds
Kylie's Myspace states that she was a good friend
Stylized clouds float behind their heads
Suggesting the halos that awaited them
The two Miss Leavens
No doubt in heaven
I paint the portraits on ivory
Two perfect likenesses
Teenage your highness'
Soft-focused by death, by history
I am the Limner
I make portraits in miniature
These two girls were separated by two hundred years
But still they are sisters
When this you see, remember me
Bury in your mind
What others say when I'm awake
Speak of me as you find
Resigned to dust
Don't pity us
We're forever pretty and mysterious
The song "The 2 Miss Leavens" by Rasputina is a haunting and melancholic tribute to two girls, Kylie and Harriet Leavens, who seem to have shared nothing in common except their surname and their untimely deaths. The song is written in the perspective of a Limner, an artist who specializes in creating small portraits on ivory, and who sees himself as a chronicler of the fates of these two girls.
The first verse sets the stage for the rest of the song by describing the two Miss Leavens. We find out that both girls were 16 years old when they died, but apart from that, they seem to have lived very different lives. Kylie died in a car crash in Iowa, while Harriet lived in Connecticut in the early 19th century and is immortalized in a portrait from that time. The image of Harriet's portrait is further evoked in the next line, which makes note of her necklace and purse lined in scarlet reds, adding a touch of gothic imagery to the scene. The last two lines of the verse suggest that both girls have been sanctified by death, with stylized clouds taking on the shape of halos behind their heads.
The second verse delves deeper into the character of the Limner himself. He identifies himself as the creator of the miniature portraits of the two Miss Leavens, and takes pride in the fact that he has captured their likeness perfectly. He addresses the girls as 'Teenage your highness' and notes that they have been made 'soft-focused' by their untimely death, a sentiment that could be read as both romantic and macabre. The final lines of the verse reinforce the idea that the two girls are connected across time and space, and that the Limner sees them as sisters.
The third verse is perhaps the most poignant of all, ending with a plea to the listener to remember the two Miss Leavens long after the song has ended. The Limner expresses his deepest desire that his portrayal of the girls has captured enough of their essence to allow them to exist in the listener's mind beyond the bounds of death. The final lines, 'Resigned to dust/Don't pity us/We're forever pretty and mysterious', are both defiant and melancholic, turning the traditional idea of death and dust on its head.
Overall, "The 2 Miss Leavens" is a song that brings together a sense of the gothic, the romantic and the macabre, offering up a plea for continuity in a world that is constantly tearing itself apart.
Line by Line Meaning
Here we see the two Miss Leavens
The song starts describing the two Miss Leavens.
Each girl was 16 years old
Both of them were just 16 years old when they passed away.
Kylie died in a car crash in Iowa
Kylie Leavens died in a tragic car accident in Iowa.
Harriet in an 1815 portrait from Connecticut
Harriet Leavens is represented in a painting from 1815 based in Connecticut.
Harriet's necklace and purse are lined in scarlet reds
The song mentions the detail of Harriet's necklace and purse that were adorned with scarlet red tones.
Kylie's Myspace states that she was a good friend
Kylie's Myspace profile described her as a good friend.
Stylized clouds float behind their heads
The surroundings of the two girls are represented by stylized clouds that evoke the idea of halos.
Suggesting the halos that awaited them
The halos behind the girls' heads imply that they were both welcomed to heaven.
The two Miss Leavens
The song repeats the introduction of the girls, as if it is emphasizing their presence.
No doubt in heaven
The two girls are unquestionably in heaven, and this is confirmed in the next line.
I paint the portraits on ivory
The song narrator claims to be a Limner, which is someone who paints portraits on ivory or miniatures.
Two perfect likenesses
The portraits painted of the two girls are described as perfect likenesses.
Teenage your highness'
These two girls were still teenagers, but even in death, they are still captivating.
Soft-focused by death, by history
The singer talks about how death has made the portraits blurrier and more mysterious for these girls who lived long ago.
These two girls were separated by two hundred years
The two Miss Leavens lived 200 years apart, but the song merges them together in the end.
But still they are sisters
Despite living centuries apart, the song implies that the two girls share a spiritual connection to each other.
When this you see, remember me
The artist is asking the listener to remember their story.
Bury in your mind
The listener should keep the story of the two Miss Leavens in mind.
What others say when I'm awake
The singer is curious about what others may say about the two Miss Leavens.
Speak of me as you find
The artist seems to be open to hearing others' opinions about the story.
Resigned to dust
The song implies that the two Miss Leavens have passed on and are now just dust.
Don't pity us
Despite their tragic stories, the song is suggesting that the Miss Leavens shouldn't be pitied because they have an eternal beauty and mystery to them.
We're forever pretty and mysterious
The song continues to reinforce the idea that the two Miss Leavens are captivating and eternal.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MELORA CREAGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind