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/
15. The One You Really Love
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You look at me like I'm a stranger You look at me like I'm not there
I gaze into your eyes of blue but their beauty is not for me You're
Thinking on someone who's gone You're dreaming of the one you really love
I made you mine, or so it seemed Though he is dead he haunts your dreams
I might as well be two ft. tall You never will love me at all
You're dreaming of the corpse you really love
The Magnetic Fields's song 15, The One You Really Love, is a heart-wrenching tale of unrequited love. The singer is deeply in love with someone who cannot reciprocate those feelings as they are still pining over someone else who has died. The lyrics paint a clear picture of the singer's futile attempts to win their lover's heart. Despite being in a relationship with them, they feel like they are invisible to the person they love, who only has eyes for the person who has passed away.
The use of imagery in the lyrics effectively conveys the emotions of the singer. They feel like they might as well be "loving air" and that their love is in "danger". This is a powerful metaphor for the feeling of being unimportant and invisible to the person you love. The line "You're dreaming of the corpse you really love" is particularly poignant, as it highlights the fact that the person the singer loves is fixating on someone who is no longer alive. The use of the word "corpse" also adds a stark and unsettling feeling to the lyrics, emphasizing the finality of death.
The song's melody is simple and understated, which allows the lyrics to take center stage. The use of a synth and acoustic guitar provides a melancholic and reflective backdrop to the emotional lyrics. Overall, The Magnetic Fields's song 15 is a poignant and powerful exploration of unrequited love and the pain it can cause.
Line by Line Meaning
I do believe our love's in danger I might as well be loving air
I think our love is in trouble, and it feels like I'm not even here.
You look at me like I'm a stranger You look at me like I'm not there
You stare at me like I'm someone you don't know, like I'm invisible.
I gaze into your eyes of blue but their beauty is not for me You're
I look into your pretty blue eyes, but you're thinking of someone else.
Thinking on someone who's gone You're dreaming of the one you really love
You're remembering someone who's no longer here, and you're dreaming of the person you truly love.
I made you mine, or so it seemed Though he is dead he haunts your dreams
I thought I won your heart, but he's still on your mind even though he's passed away.
I might as well be two ft. tall You never will love me at all
I feel as though I'm barely noticeable to you, and you'll never love me.
You're dreaming of the corpse you really love
You're dreaming about the person who's now deceased that you truly love.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J A
I do believe our love's in danger
I might as well be loving air
You look at me like I'm a stranger
You look at me like I'm not there
I gaze into your eyes of blue
But their beauty is not for me
You're thinking on someone who's gone
You're dreaming of the one you really love
I made you mine, or so it seemed
Though he is dead he haunts your dreams
I might as well be two foot tall
You never will love me at all...
I gaze into your eyes of blue
but their beauty is not for me
You're thinking on someone who's gone
You're dreaming of the one you really love
You're dreaming of the corpse you really love
Brad Stroud
So many brilliant songs amongst those 69. This is one of them.
Breana Bailey
I liked this song better when it wasn't in relevance to my life
John O'Hara
you posted this comment six years ago. I'm curious, did things work out?
Tattooed Dom
Worst part for me is, she introduced me to this song.
Neil Maxwell
Yep Me too
Wumpum9
I know how you feel
J A
I do believe our love's in danger
I might as well be loving air
You look at me like I'm a stranger
You look at me like I'm not there
I gaze into your eyes of blue
But their beauty is not for me
You're thinking on someone who's gone
You're dreaming of the one you really love
I made you mine, or so it seemed
Though he is dead he haunts your dreams
I might as well be two foot tall
You never will love me at all...
I gaze into your eyes of blue
but their beauty is not for me
You're thinking on someone who's gone
You're dreaming of the one you really love
You're dreaming of the corpse you really love
Miriam Conrad
This song is so beautiful I want to write the lyrics all over my body
wtb2612
I like that he changes it to "corpse" in the last line. Makes him sound so bitter.
Torrey
Is it just me...
Doesn't this play as a mental soundtrack when one is in love?