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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Babies Falling
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I will be there too
When you're cashing in your food stamps
When you're sleeping in a cattle train
I'll be with you
Pushing up against the ticket counter window face against the glass
Bleeding from the waist and kissing to be chaste
To tramp like soldiers through the marshes
Or that blessed are the ones who leave the stage
Like babies falling fast asleep
So I twice am cursed and twice am stuck
Affixed to this corner of the earth.
That old river keeps on rolling but the old man doesn't see it,
He just stands there with his eyes closed
Asking "Where'd you go?" "Where'd you go?"
So wherever you may sleep tonight,
Be it bed or bedrock, home, or open field:
When you begin to yield, then, whatever you have taken as your pillow,
May it serve as mine as well.
Underneath the weeping willow I will wait for you forever,
My eyes forever closed, asking "Where'd you go?" "Where'd you go?"
The Magnetic Fields' song "Babies Falling" is a poignant reflection on the experience of displacement and uncertainty in life. The lyrics describe the singer's solidarity with those who are facing difficult times, whether it be waiting for dislocation, cashing in food stamps, or sleeping in a cattle train. The imagery of pushing up against the ticket counter window and bleeding from the waist while kissing to be chaste is evocative of the desperation and resilience of those struggling to survive. Furthermore, the idea of being cursed to tramp like soldiers through the marshes or being blessed to leave the stage like babies falling asleep highlights the harsh reality of life's unpredictability and the different ways people respond to it.
The singer then turns to the idea of being affixed to a corner of the earth and feeling stuck, unable to escape the cycle of hardship. The metaphor of the old river that keeps rolling but the old man who stands with his eyes closed, asking "Where'd you go?" "Where'd you go?" suggests the fleeting nature of time and the sense of loss that can come with it. Finally, the song ends with an open invitation to whoever may be experiencing difficulty to find solace with the singer. They will wait for them forever underneath the weeping willow and ask the same question of loss and yearning, "Where'd you go?"
Line by Line Meaning
Where the workers stand in querulous rows awaiting dislocation
I'll be with you when you feel unstable and unsure of your job security among others in the same situation.
I will be there too
I'll stand by your side through difficult times.
When you're cashing in your food stamps
I'll go with you when you redeem government food aid due to financial need.
When you're sleeping in a cattle train
I'll sleep beside you in a crowded train cart, surrounded by livestock.
I'll be with you
I'll be there for you when no one else will.
Pushing up against the ticket counter window face against the glass
I'll help you fight for transportation wherever you may need to go.
Bleeding from the waist and kissing to be chaste
I'll stay devoted to you even when it seems like the world is against us.
It is said that those who will not rest have been cursed
People who never seem to be at peace often feel cursed.
To tramp like soldiers through the marshes
Some people have to undergo a difficult journey or hardship like soldiers through marshland.
Or that blessed are the ones who leave the stage
Some people are luckier to leave a situation behind or to move on to better things, like leaving a stage after a performance.
Like babies falling fast asleep
Leaving or falling asleep can be a peaceful and natural process, much like babies falling asleep.
So I twice am cursed and twice am stuck
I've been cursed twice and feel like I'm stuck in this situation.
Affixed to this corner of the earth.
I feel stuck or restricted to a certain area or situation.
That old river keeps on rolling but the old man doesn't see it,
Time passes by continuously, but some people are unable to see it or move with it, like an old man by a river.
He just stands there with his eyes closed
The old man remains still and unobservant with his eyes shut.
Asking "Where'd you go?" "Where'd you go?"
He's searching for someone who has left or passed away.
So wherever you may sleep tonight,
No matter where you rest your head tonight,
Be it bed or bedrock, home, or open field:
Whether you're sleeping in a comfortable bed or in the wilderness,
When you begin to yield, then, whatever you have taken as your pillow,
When you start to let go of control or give up,
May it serve as mine as well.
I'll share your struggles and hardship, using whatever you have as my own.
Underneath the weeping willow I will wait for you forever,
I'll wait for you to come back to me forever, like a willow tree's branches that hang low and appear to weep.
My eyes forever closed, asking "Where'd you go?" "Where'd you go?"
I'll continue searching for you even with my eyes closed and in the afterlife.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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