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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Absolutely Cuckoo
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We only recently met
True I'm in love with you but
You might decide I'm a nut
Give me a week or two to
Go absolutely cuckoo
Then, when you see your error
Then, you can flee in terror
I only tell you this 'cause
I'm easy to get rid of
But not if you fall in love
Know now that I'm on the make
And if you make a mistake
My heart will certainly break
I'll have to jump in a lake
And all my friends will blame you
There's no telling what they'll do
It's only fair to tell you
I'm absolutely cuckoo
Don't fall in love with me yet
We only recently met
True I'm in love with you but
You might decide I'm a nut
Give me a week or two to
Go absolutely cuckoo
Then, when you see your error
Then, you can flee in terror
Like everybody else does
I only tell you this 'cause
I'm easy to get rid of
But not if you fall in love
Know now that I'm on the make
And if you make a mistake
My heart will certainly break
I'll have to jump in a lake
And all my friends will blame you
There's no telling what they'll do
It's only fair to tell you
I'm absolutely cuckoo
It's only fair to tell you
I'm absolutely cuckoo
The Magnetic Fields's song Absolutely Cuckoo is a quirky, upbeat track that explores themes of infatuation and the fear of commitment. The lyrics are delivered in a tongue-in-cheek manner, with the singer warning their potential love interest not to fall for them too quickly, as they are prone to going "absolutely cuckoo." The repeated refrain of "Don't fall in love with me yet" and the line "I'm easy to get rid of, but not if you fall in love" highlight the singer's reluctance to commit and their desire to avoid any potential heartbreak.
The song's lyrics can be interpreted as a humorous commentary on the superficiality of modern dating culture, or as a reflection of the singer's own insecurities and fears. The tone of the song shifts midway through, as the singer seems to realize the absurdity of their own behavior and acknowledges that their actions may have consequences. The line "And all my friends will blame you / There's no telling what they'll do" suggests that the singer's erratic behavior is not entirely without consequences, and that they may face social repercussions as a result.
Overall, Absolutely Cuckoo is a catchy, thought-provoking song that showcases The Magnetic Fields's signature mix of clever lyrics and catchy melodies.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't fall in love with me yet
It's too early to love me
We only recently met
We haven't known each other for long
True I'm in love with you but
I do have feelings for you
You might decide I'm a nut
You might think I'm crazy
Give me a week or two to
Let me have some time to
Go absolutely cuckoo
Act crazy and erratically
Then, when you see your error
When you realize your mistake
Then, you can flee in terror
You can run away in fear
Like everybody else does
Just like everyone else
I only tell you this 'cause
I'm informing you because
I'm easy to get rid of
I'm not hard to get rid of
But not if you fall in love
Unless you love me
Know now that I'm on the make
Be aware that I'm looking for love
And if you make a mistake
If you make a wrong choice
My heart will certainly break
I'll be heartbroken for sure
I'll have to jump in a lake
I might do something dramatic
And all my friends will blame you
My friends might accuse you
There's no telling what they'll do
They might do anything
It's only fair to tell you
I should be honest with you
I'm absolutely cuckoo
I'm completely crazy
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Stephin Raymond Merritt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind