The band was originally formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1990 by friends Merritt and (percussionist/pianist/vocalist) Claudia Gonson. While 1991's Distant Plastic Trees and 1992's The Wayward Bus (now most easily available together as a compilation, The Wayward Bus / Distant Plastic Trees) are sung by Susan Anway (b. 1951 - d. 2021), all subsequent albums are principally sung by Merritt himself.
Longtime members include: Gonson, (cellist) Sam Davol, and (banjo player/guitarist) John Woo. Contributors include (but are not limited to) the singers Susan Anway, Dudley Klute, Shirley Simms, and LD Beghtol, and the accordionist/writer Daniel Handler (famous for writing the childrens' books A Series of Unfortunate Events under the alias Lemony Snicket).
Their most popular and best-selling album to date is 69 Love Songs issued on Merge Records as a triple album filled with many fairly short songs that are reminiscent of early Beatles productions.
The album is notable for its employment of many unorthodox musical arrangements and downright impressive quantity of material presented. Instruments used on this album include the ukulele, banjo, accordion, cello, mandolin, piano, flute, xylophone guitars, various percussion instruments, and a standard setup of synths and effects. It features several guest vocalists on several different tracks. The album is a three CD set, released in the US as three separate albums (also available as a boxed set) and in the UK as a triple album.
The album i (2004, Nonesuch Records) continues Merritt's fixation on the concept album, with each of the 14 songs beginning with the letter (and often the pronoun) "I".
The album Distortion, was released through Nonesuch on the 15th January 2008 and introduced noise pop to the array of styles utilized in their music. The album's release was followed by a sold-out U.S. tour starting in February. Additional albums followed in 2010, 2012, 2017, and 2020.
Stephin Merritt is involved in several other musical projects: The 6ths (featuring different guest performers on every track), The Gothic Archies (songs dealing humorously with dark themes) and Future Bible Heroes (with music written by Chris Ewen)
http://www.houseoftomorrow.com/
06. The Death of Ferdinand de Saussure
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a night like this
On love he said
"I'm not so sure
I even know what it is
No understanding
No closure
It is a nemesis
To study orchids"
He said
So we don't know anything
You don't know anything
I don't know anything
about love
But we are nothing
You are nothing
I am nothing
Without love
I'm just a great composer
And not a violent man
But I lost my composure
And I shot Ferdinand
Crying "it's well and kosher
to say you don't understand
but this is for Holland-Dozier-Holland"
His last words were
We don't know anything
His fading words were
We don't know anything
The Magnetic Fields' song "The Death of Ferdinand de Saussure" is a clever take on the life and work of Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure. The song starts with the singer claiming to have met de Saussure and having discussed love with him. De Saussure, being a scholar of language, claims not to understand love and likens it to studying orchids with a bulldozer - it just can't be done. The chorus comes in with the repeated line "We don't know anything about love," emphasizing the lack of understanding of the concept.
Towards the end of the song, the singer reveals that he had shot de Saussure, claiming it was because de Saussure had said "it's well and kosher to say you don't understand but this is for Holland-Dozier-Holland." Holland-Dozier-Holland were a songwriting team that produced Motown hits in the 1960s. The meaning of their mention is unclear, but it can be interpreted as de Saussure dismissing the idea of love songs as trivial. De Saussure's final words are a repetition of the chorus, once again emphasizing the uncertainties surrounding the concept of love.
The lyrics of the song are structured in a way that mimics de Saussure's theories of language. De Saussure believed that meaning in language is arbitrary and is only given value through a system of relationships between signs. Similarly, the song's lyrics play with the arbitrary meanings of words and how they relate to each other to create a narrative.
Line by Line Meaning
I met Ferdinand de Saussure
I once crossed paths with Ferdinand de Saussure
On a night like this
On a certain night, as if out of fate
On love he said
He spoke to me regarding matters of affection
"I'm not so sure
"I am uncertain
I even know what it is
Of what love truly comprises
No understanding
Lack of comprehension
No closure
No endpoint
It is a nemesis
It is a challenging obstacle
You can't use a bulldozer
One cannot approach it with brute force
To study orchids"
To research something that requires gentleness and care
So we don't know anything
Thus, we are not certain of anything
You don't know anything
Nor do you hold any surety
I don't know anything
I too lack confidence in my knowledge
about love
Regarding the topic of love
But we are nothing
Notwithstanding our ignorance
You are nothing
And you, too, are empty
I am nothing
I myself hold no significance
Without love
If not for love
I'm just a great composer
As much as I take pride in my skills as a musician
And not a violent man
I am not one to revel in violence
But I lost my composure
But in a fit of passion
And I shot Ferdinand
I shot at Ferdinand
Crying "it's well and kosher
With the justification
to say you don't understand
That claiming ignorance
but this is for Holland-Dozier-Holland"
But this is due to Holland-Dozier-Holland
His last words were
His final utterances were
We don't know anything
We truly comprehend naught
His fading words were
As his voice grew fainter, he stated
We don't know anything
We are ignorant with regards to much
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind