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/
Candy
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I can't be the part of your life you don't wanna know
And I can't keep lying all the time
And I know you'll find a better man
They're all too easy to find
And I'll just go away somewhere and slowly lose my mind
And I can't see the light at the end for you anymore
And I can't keep lying all the time
And I know you'll find a better man
They're all too easy to find
And I'll just go away somewhere and slowly lose my mind
Candy, I can't be the man they want me to be
Maybe it was only with you that I could be me
And I can't keep lying all the time
And I know you'll find a better man
They're all too easy to find
And I'll just go away somewhere and slowly lose my mind
The Magnetic Fields's song "Candy" speaks to the complexity of a relationship that has reached its breaking point. The opening lines set the tone of the song as the singer tells Candy that he has to go because he cannot be a part of her life that she doesn't want to acknowledge. The line "And I can't keep lying all the time" suggests that maybe Candy has been ignoring certain aspects of their relationship or perhaps even lying to herself about how much she cares about the singer.
As the song continues, the singer admits that Candy has been underestimated and judged unfairly by others. However, despite this acknowledgment, he still cannot continue to lie or pretend to be someone that he's not. The repeated phrase "And I know you'll find a better man, they're all too easy to find" sounds like a resigned admission of defeat but there's also a hint of bitterness in the way it's delivered. The final line, "And I'll just go away somewhere and slowly lose my mind", adds a haunting sense of sadness to the song as the singer contemplates what his future may hold without Candy.
Overall, "Candy" is a song that speaks to the emotional burden of relationships that may be toxic or untenable. While there may be moments of joy and happiness, there's also a recognition that sometimes the best thing to do is to walk away and move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Candy, it's been really nice, but I've got to go
I've enjoyed our time together, but I need to leave now
'Cause I can't be the part of your life you don't wanna know
I can't continue to pretend that everything is okay when you're hiding parts of your life from me
And I can't keep lying all the time
I can't continue to deceive you and myself
And I know you'll find a better man
I believe you will eventually find someone who is better for you than I am
They're all too easy to find
There are plenty of potential suitors out there for you
And I'll just go away somewhere and slowly lose my mind
I'll retreat into myself and possibly suffer mentally from the loss
Candy, they called you a baby, they called you a whore
Others have judged and criticized you unfairly in the past
And I can't see the light at the end for you anymore
I'm struggling to envision a positive future for you
Candy, I can't be the man they want me to be
I'm not the person society, your friends, or even you want me to be
Maybe it was only with you that I could be me
Perhaps only with you could I truly be myself
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTHONY BATTAGLIA, DAVID KATZ, DENISE RICH, DENNY IRA KLEIMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind