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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Everything Is One Big Christmas ...
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All got up with lights and candy
All the world is turning prettily
Everyone's awaiting Sandy
Stop mumbling and cheer up
Put down the book, pick beer up
Why sit in your dark and lonely room?
Here's a vial of laughing gas perfume
See that people smile when you're near
If they don't like you screw them
Don't leave you fortune to them
Nein, vielleicht ist Allest nicht ein Traum
Ist Alles ein Albtraum? Nicht, nicht!
Alles ist ein groeer Tannenbaum
Rotierend im Weltraumgeschichte
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
Everything is one big Christmas tree
All got up with lights and candy
All the world is turning prettily
Everyone's awaiting sandy
Where can that Sandy be?
The Magnetic Fields's song Everything Is One Big Christmas Tree is a song about embracing the festive spirit and celebrating life. The lyrics suggest that everything in the world is like one big Christmas tree, decorated with lights and candy, and turning prettily. The song talks about an individual who is sitting in a dark, lonely room, and the need to put the book down and pick beer up. The person is encouraged to stop being gloomy and cheer up, and to use a vial of laughing gas perfume.
The song suggests that people should not take life too seriously and should enjoy themselves in the moment. If people do not like them, they should not care and must not leave their fortunes to them. The chorus repeats the lines of the first verse, suggesting that everything in life is just like a big Christmas tree. The song ends with the question, "Where can that Sandy be?" The lyrics suggest that Sandy could be anyone, maybe a friend or a partner. The song is a celebration of life and a message of hope and joy.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything is one big Christmas tree
The singer is saying that everything in life is like a Christmas tree, beautifully decorated
All got up with lights and candy
People are dressed up and adorned with sparkly things, just like a Christmas tree
All the world is turning prettily
The world is a beautiful place, just as it is described in Christmas carols
Everyone's awaiting Sandy
People are waiting for something good to happen, like the arrival of Santa Claus
Stop mumbling and cheer up
The singer encourages people to stop mumbling and be happy
Put down the book, pick beer up
The singer wants the listener to stop reading and start enjoying a beer or other festive activity
Why sit in your dark and lonely room?
The singer questions why someone would want to be alone and unhappy
Must your every word be sincere?
The singer questions the importance of always being sincere and serious
Here's a vial of laughing gas perfume
The singer offers a way to make people happy by giving them laughing gas perfume
See that people smile when you're near
The singer encourages people to make others happy and see them smile
If they don't like you screw them
The singer advises people who don't like you to be ignored or left behind
Don't leave you fortune to them
The singer advises people not to give their wealth or happiness to those who don't care for them
Nein, vielleicht ist Allest nicht ein Traum
The singer is exploring the possibility of life not being a dream
Ist Alles ein Albtraum? Nicht, nicht!
The singer is rejecting the idea that life is a nightmare
Alles ist ein groeer Tannenbaum
The singer is reaffirming that everything is like a big Christmas tree
Rotierend im Weltraumgeschichte
Everything is rotating in the history of the universe
La la la la la la
Nonsense words used to fill the gaps in the song
La la la la la la
Nonsense words used to fill the gaps in the song
Everything is one big Christmas tree
The singer is repeating the message of the song
All got up with lights and candy
The singer repeats the idea of people being decorated like a Christmas tree
All the world is turning prettily
The beauty of the world is being reiterated
Everyone's awaiting sandy
The singer repeats the idea of people waiting for something good to happen
Where can that Sandy be?
The singer wonders where this good thing is that people are waiting for
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: STEPHIN RAYMOND MERRITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind