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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Falling in Love With the Wolfboy
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She can make you feel like a star
She will scratch till her hand is bloody
But she'll love you more for the scar
She remembers the recent past
She's something the cat dragged in
She's a trollop in paisley, so,
(C): Take her down to the woods where the wolfboy lives,
And the three of you evaporate into the night
Till you both fall in love with him
With a face like an African mask
And the strength of ten men
When she's wrong
She's in charge in the world at large
And her novels are all very long
She belongs on the astral plane
She's probably a hologram
Put her back in the padded cell (C)
So you'll dress head to foot in lame
And you'll dance in December snow
When the sky turns to wine you'll embrace
And forget everything that you know
She can tell you the will of the gods
Butter won't melt in her mouth, but you will
Don't bother to ask her name (C)
The Magnetic Fields's song Falling in Love With the Wolfboy is a unique and eccentric love song that explores the paradoxical feelings of being in love with someone who can both make you feel like filth and like a star. The song depicts a mysterious and enigmatic woman who is both charming and dangerous. She is described as someone who can scratch until her hands are bloody but at the same time, will love you more for the scars she leaves on you. The song's narrator is fascinated by her, even though he acknowledges she is not entirely sane and is possibly an astral plane hologram.
The song's chorus suggests the singer will take the woman to the woods where the wolfboy lives. It is unclear who the wolfboy is, but the villagers say he exists, and the singer takes the woman there so that they can "evaporate into the night till they both fall in love with him." The wolfboy is described as having the face of an African mask and the strength of ten men, suggesting he is not an ordinary human being. The chorus is mysterious and surreal, and it presents the listener with various interpretations of what it might mean.
The song's other verses are equally unconventional, with lyrics such as "She belongs on the astral plane, she's probably a hologram, put her back in the padded cell." The song is an ode to uniqueness and eccentricity, and it suggests that love can flourish in unexpected places. It is also a song about the dangers of falling in love with someone who is not entirely stable emotionally.
Line by Line Meaning
She can make you feel like filth
She has the power to make you feel worthless and inferior
She can make you feel like a star
She can also make you feel important and special
She will scratch till her hand is bloody
She's willing to endure pain just to express her love and devotion
But she'll love you more for the scar
She'll appreciate you more for the scars you both suffer from that love
She remembers the recent past
She has a great memory of events that recently happened
She's something the cat dragged in
She's someone who looks like they've been through a lot, but still manages to stand up
She's a trollop in paisley, so,
She's a promiscuous woman who has a whimsical and colorful personality
Take her down to the woods where the wolfboy lives,
Take her to the place where the wild and free spirit thrives
So the villagers say,
According to the stories of people from the village
And the three of you evaporate into the night
You'll all disappear into the darkness and be one with the atmosphere
Till you both fall in love with him
You'll both end up falling in love with the wolfboy
With a face like an African mask
He has an exotic and striking facial appearance
And the strength of ten men
He possesses enormous physical strength and ability
When she's wrong
When she's mistaken or misguided
She's in charge in the world at large
She's still in control and takes command of her surroundings despite being in the wrong
And her novels are all very long
Her writings tend to be quite lengthy
She belongs on the astral plane
She seems to have come from an ethereal and otherworldly dimension
She's probably a hologram
She seems like an illusion or a projected image
Put her back in the padded cell
It's better to restrain her because of her unpredictable nature
So you'll dress head to foot in lame
You'll both be donning dull and unsightly clothing
And you'll dance in December snow
You'll both embrace and frolic in the snowfall of the winter season
When the sky turns to wine you'll embrace
When the sky turns to a red-orange hue during sunset, you'll hold each other tightly
And forget everything that you know
You'll both let go of everything and surrender to the moment
She can tell you the will of the gods
She can explain what the deities want or intend
Butter won't melt in her mouth, but you will
She's capable of being cold and emotionless, but you'll warm her heart
Don't bother to ask her name
It's pointless to know her name since she's someone who's ever-changing and never permanent
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind