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)
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100000 Fireflies
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I play it all night long
It makes me want to kill myself
I also have a dobro
Made in some mountain range
Sounds like a mountain range in love
But when I turn up the tone on my electric guitar
I went out to the forest and caught
A hundred thousand fireflies
As they ricochet round the room
They remind me of your starry eyes.
Someone else's might not have made me so sad
But this is the worst night I ever had,
'Cause I'm afraid of the dark without you close to me
You won't be happy with me,
But give me one more chance
You won't be happy anyway
Why do we still live here
In this repulsive town?
All our friends are in New York
Why do we keep shrieking,
When we mean soft things?
We should be whispering all the time
The Magnetic Fields's song "100000 Fireflies" is a melancholy description of someone's struggle with loneliness and depression. The singer sings about his mandolin and dobro, instruments that he uses to play music all night long. However, the music doesn't bring him happiness, and instead, it makes him feel like he wants to kill himself. He turns to his electric guitar for solace, but even then, he still feels scared and lost without his loved one close by. The singer then describes how he went out to the forest to catch a hundred thousand fireflies, and he thinks of his loved one's starry eyes. However, the fireflies only make him sadder, as the loneliness that he feels is overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
I have a mandolin
I possess a musical instrument called a mandolin
I play it all night long
I play the mandolin for hours on end
It makes me want to kill myself
The music from the mandolin induces suicidal thoughts or feelings
I also have a dobro
In addition to the mandolin, I own another musical instrument called a dobro
Made in some mountain range
The dobro was constructed in a particular mountainous locale
Sounds like a mountain range in love
The sound produced by the dobro resembles the romanticized image of a range of mountains in love
But when I turn up the tone on my electric guitar
When I increase the volume or pitch on my electric guitar
I'm afraid of the dark without you close to me
The artist experiences fear when alone in the dark without their significant other nearby
I went out to the forest and caught
The artist ventured into a wooded area and captured
A hundred thousand fireflies
An immense number of glowing insects known as fireflies
As they ricochet round the room
The fireflies move erratically around the interior space
They remind me of your starry eyes
The appearance or behavior of the fireflies brings my thoughts to my partner's sparkling or dreamy gaze
Someone else's might not have made me so sad
A different situation or set of circumstances would not produce the same level of sorrow or melancholy for me
But this is the worst night I ever had
This is the most terrible or disastrous evening I have experienced
'Cause I'm afraid of the dark without you close to me
The reason for my current emotional state is due to my fear of darkness when separated from you
You won't be happy with me
You will not find contentment or satisfaction in my actions
But give me one more chance
Despite your probable dissatisfaction, please grant me another opportunity
You won't be happy anyway
Even if I am successful in changing your mind, you will not attain happiness or fulfillment
Why do we still live here
What is the reason for us remaining in this location?
In this repulsive town?
The place where we reside is considered unpleasant or revolting
All our friends are in New York
The artist and their partner's companions reside in a city called New York
Why do we keep shrieking,
What is the need for us to emit loud, high-pitched screams?
When we mean soft things?
If we are trying to convey gentle or tender emotions, why do we use such intense vocalizations?
We should be whispering all the time
Perhaps we should communicate in low tones or hushed voices consistently
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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