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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Always Already Gone
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I needn't have tried
It seems you'd decided
When did you decide?
So this is the last time
I cry in the dawn
It seems you were always
Always already gone
You never were happy
You had to be free
You took all the freedom
You needed from me
Then you and your freedom
Flew thither and yon
You're free to be always
Always already gone
I couldn't have dreamed you
But I might as well
You leave me with only
A story to tell
But at the beginning
Our story is done
Because you were always
Always already gone
The lyrics of "Always Already Gone" by The Magnetic Fields talk about a one-sided relationship where one person tried hard to keep the other person, but it seems that person had already made up their mind to leave. The singer in the song expresses their pain of realizing that the other person was always going to be gone. The song’s opening line, “I tried hard to keep you. I needn’t have tried,” sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer seems to acknowledge that their efforts were futile as if they had lost the battle before it even started. The lyrics, “You never were happy. You had to be free. You took all the freedom You needed from me,” suggest that the other person had a need for freedom, and that was the reason for leaving. However, the singer acknowledges that their effort of trying too hard to keep the other person didn’t make sense because the other person was already gone.
The lyrics, “But at the beginning, Our story is done Because you were always Always already gone,” suggest that the relationship was not meant to be from the start. The other person’s need for freedom was stronger than their need to be in a relationship. The singer seems to have accepted the fact that the other person is gone and that the relationship is over. Overall, the lyrics of "Always Already Gone" convey feelings of sadness, loss, and acceptance of the reality of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I tried hard to keep you
I put all my effort into trying to hold onto you
I needn't have tried
You had already made up your mind
It seems you'd decided
You had already made a decision without telling me
When did you decide?
I wish I knew when you made this decision
So this is the last time
This is the final moment between us
I cry in the dawn
I am shedding tears at the start of a new day
It seems you were always
It's as if you never truly belonged to me
Always already gone
You have always been gone, even when you were here
You never were happy
You never found happiness with me or anyone else
You had to be free
You needed to be unbound and unrestricted
You took all the freedom
You claimed all the liberty and independence
You needed from me
And you obtained it, then moved on
Then you and your freedom
You and your liberation
Flew thither and yon
Traveled aimlessly, without direction or purpose
You're free to be always
You're free to live your life as you want
Always already gone
You have already left, and I can't bring you back
I couldn't have dreamed you
I never thought I'd lose you
But I might as well
I might as well accept that you're gone
You leave me with only
You've left me with nothing but
A story to tell
This is the story of us and what we were
But at the beginning
From the very start
Our story is done
Our story has reached its end
Because you were always
Because you never truly belonged to me
Always already gone
You have always been gone, even when you were here
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEPHIN RAYMOND MERRITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind