The band originally consisted of Bobby Wratten (vocals, guitar) and Michael Hiscock (bass), but for most of their lifespan also included Harvey Williams (guitar), Annemari Davis (keyboards), and Mark Dobson (drums). The band split up in 1991 after an unctuous tour to promote the For Keeps album, during which lead singer/guitarist Bobby Wratten announced he was leaving. He then, along with Davis and Dobson, formed Northern Picture Library. In 1995, Wratten founded Trembling Blue Stars.
Their first EP, Emma's House was released in late 1988, but it was with their 2nd single Sensitive that they first received significant critical attention with a subsequent placing in John Peel's 1989 Festive 50.
Over a three year career the band were often dogged with the reputation of having a post C86 indie pop or generic Sarah Records sound despite producing tracks with numerous styles and influences. Early singles and even their sleeves harked back to early Factory Records bands such as New Order and The Wake, with many tracks often featuring sequencers and samples. Many of the group's recordings, notably Triangle and their epic seven-minute swan song, Missing the Moon, displayed a strong influence from the popular dance music of the time. Most of the group's records were produced by Ian Catt, who later went on to perfect the pop dance sound of Missing The Moon with Saint Etienne and many other British bands of the early to mid 1990s.
A double-album compilation of the long-deleted Field Mice releases, Where'd You Learn To Kiss That Way?, was released in 1998 on the Shinkansen label and sold more copies than any Field Mice record ever sold at the time. Their entire back catalogue was reissued on CD for the first time by LTM Records in 2005.
End of the Affair
The Field Mice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is the end
For you and I
For you and I
The end of the affair
We no longer care
For each other
Once I needed you so
Once I needed you so
Now I can't stand being in the same room as you
I can't even stand the sight of you
This is it, isn't it?
This is it, isn't it?
This is it, isn't it?
This is it, isn't it?
This is it, isn't it?
This is it, this is the end
For you and I
This is it, isn't it?
(I don't love you)
This is it, isn't it?
(anymore, and you)
This is it, isn't it?
(don't love me)
This is it, isn't it?
(anymore now)
This is it, isn't it?
(do you?)
This is it, this is the end
For you and I
The Field Mice's song "End of the Affair" is a poignant reflection on the end of a romantic relationship. The opening lines "This is it, isn't it? / This is the end / For you and I / For you and I" set the tone for the rest of the song, conveying a sense of resignation and finality. The singer acknowledges that the love they once shared has come to an end, and that they no longer feel the same way about each other. The chorus repeats this sentiment, with the line "This is it, this is the end / For you and I" serving as a stark reminder of the irrevocable nature of their separation.
In the second verse, the singer reflects on how their feelings have changed. They once needed the other person desperately, but now they can barely tolerate being in the same room with them. The repetition of the phrase "Once I needed you so" highlights this contrast and drives home the emotional distance that has grown between them. The final series of questions in the chorus ("I don't love you / anymore, and you / don't love me / anymore now / do you?") underscore the uncertainty and doubt that can accompany the end of a relationship.
Overall, "End of the Affair" is a beautifully melancholic song that captures the pain of a romantic breakup with raw honesty and vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
This is it, isn't it?
It's the end of our relationship.
This is the end
Our relationship has come to an end.
For you and I
We are no longer together.
The end of the affair
Our romantic relationship has ended completely.
We no longer care
We don't have feelings for each other anymore.
Once I needed you so
There was a time when I relied on you and cared about our relationship deeply.
Now I can't stand being in the same room as you
I despise being around you currently.
I can't even stand the sight of you
I can't even look at you without feeling a sense of repulsion.
I don't love you
I am not in love with you anymore.
Anymore, and you
You don't love me anymore either.
Don't love me
You don't have romantic feelings for me anymore.
Anymore now
Now, it's over between us completely.
Do you?
Do you still have feelings for me?
Contributed by Emily R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Faust Atroxy
what can i say about this neverending joieau?... i would only tell you that when i'm listening this micro-symphony for broken hearts...drops of happy sadness fade my sight,my eyes close down and what's still around just fade out,it's a real total sensation of fully avoid,no one other song makes me feel the way this one do....thx xever,from the deepest regions of my mind and heart
paris texas
Beautiful song, one of their best, and that outro :-)
Patrick Greening
Great Slide of Wind Instruments and the Simplicity of Lyric and Creative World of The Field Mice
paris texas
<3