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/
10. Yeah! Oh Yeah!
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you longing to be free?
Do I drive you up a tree?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
Do I drive you up the wall?
Do you dread every phone call?
Can you not stand me at all?
Though I need you more than air
Is it true you just don't care?
Are you having an affair?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
When we met I thought
Money was everything
So I let you buy the house,
The car, the ring
But I can't take your perpetual whining
And you can't sing
I though if we live apart
We could made a brand-new start
Do you want to break my heart?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
I've enjoyed making you
Miserable for years
Found peace of mind in
Playing on your fears
How I loved to catch your gold
And silver tears, but now my dear
What a dark and dreary life
Are you reaching for a knife?
Could you really kill your wife?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
Of, I die, I die, I die!
So it's over, you and I
Was my whole life just a lie?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
The Magnetic Fields' song "Yeah! Oh Yeah!" is a witty, sarcastic, and at times deeply sad exploration of a failing relationship. The song is a conversation between two partners who have reached an impasse, as one partner questions whether the other is out of love with them, whether they want to break up, and whether they are having an affair. The other partner responds with a series of cutting and hurtful remarks, including accusations of perpetual whining, terrible singing, and emotional manipulation.
The song provides a complex and emotionally rich snapshot of a dysfunctional relationship, where pain and anger are expressed through bitter sarcasm and sardonic humor. The chorus, consisting of the repeated phrase "Yeah! Oh, yeah!" is particularly powerful, as it conveys both the devastating finality of a break-up and the hollow emptiness of a relationship that has lost all meaning. The song's ironic tone and bleak humor emphasize the painful realities of a love gone sour, and it presents an uncompromising vision of the difficulties of intimacy and human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you out of love with me?
Do you no longer have feelings of love for me?
Are you longing to be free?
Do you want to leave and be independent?
Do I drive you up a tree?
Do I annoy or frustrate you greatly?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
Expression of confirmation or agreement
Do I drive you up the wall?
Do I irritate or anger you?
Do you dread every phone call?
Do you fear or feel anxious about receiving a phone call from me?
Can you not stand me at all?
Do you dislike or hate me completely?
Though I need you more than air
Even though I desire or require you more than anything else
Is it true you just don't care?
Do you really have no feelings or concern for me?
Are you having an affair?
Are you involved in a romantic relationship with someone else?
When we met I thought
At the beginning of our relationship, I believed
Money was everything
The most important thing in life was wealth and material possessions
So I let you buy the house,
Therefore, I allowed you to purchase the home
The car, the ring
And also the automobile and the ring
But I can't take your perpetual whining
But I am unable to tolerate your constant complaining
And you can't sing
And you are unable to sing well
I though if we live apart
I believed that if we lived separately
We could made a brand-new start
We could begin a new life and start over
Do you want to break my heart?
Do you want to cause me emotional pain or suffering?
I've enjoyed making you
I have taken pleasure in causing you
Miserable for years
To feel extremely unhappy or uncomfortable for an extended period of time
Found peace of mind in
Gained a sense of contentment or tranquillity by
Playing on your fears
Exploiting or manipulating your anxieties
How I loved to catch your gold
I enjoyed capturing your
And silver tears, but now my dear
And also your tears of sadness or regret, but now, my beloved
What a dark and dreary life
What a gloomy and depressing existence
Are you reaching for a knife?
Are you considering using a knife as a weapon?
Could you really kill your wife?
Would you actually murder your spouse?
Of, I die, I die, I die!
An exclamation of intense emotion, indicating a desire to die
So it's over, you and I
Our relationship has come to an end
Was my whole life just a lie?
Did my entire existence amount to nothing but deception or falsehood?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
Expression of confirmation or agreement
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Evan Edelman
this is actually the coolest band of all time
Goreygalx
I was at this show! Thanks so much for posting this! He is such a genius.
BlackFoIiage
Love to hear people laughing--this is a really funny song! They sound great live!
vicko5000
awesome .. hope they tour again soon! new album this years supposedly
ForcedLaughter
this is one of my favorite TMF songs. And the performance was a bit corny but I liked it.
Alucard80
Where can i find more magnetic fields live ?? Im dying to see more. especially tracks from 69 love songs. there's not much on youtube..
Amanda Olsen
I love how this song creepes into your body and makes you close your eyes and laugh and listen and kinda forget everything.
Jemzo Maclain
I know, I think it's the reverb effect and the chords that give it a sort of eerie and peaceful feel
Lola Tong
I love stephin songs!
ljonesvc
She looks just like how I imagined she would, from hearing her on the CD. I'm weird.