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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Fido Your Leash Is Too Long
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You go where you don't belong
You've been digging in the rubble
Gettin' bitches in trouble
Fido, your leash is too long
Fido, your leash is too long
I don't know where I went wrong
When you do that Shitzhu
Fido, your leash is too long
Fido, you've gone far enough
I must have all of your love
You just run out of luck
I don't care what you fuck
Sounds lewd, but your leash is too long
The song "Fido Your Leash Is Too Long" by The Magnetic Fields is a humorous and playful commentary on the relationship between a pet dog and his owner. The song consists of three repeating verses, each addressing the singer's dog, Fido. The first verse accuses Fido of misbehaving by digging in rubble and getting "bitches" in trouble, suggesting that Fido's long leash is to blame for his wandering ways. The second verse expresses fear and frustration that Fido's unpredictable behavior causes his owner, including doing something unmentionable to a Shitzhu. Finally, the third verse asserts the owner's dominance over the dog and insists that Fido will be given no more independence, even if it means that he has to give up his sexual freedom.
The song is full of wordplay and double entendres, with the repetition of the line "your leash is too long" serving as a tongue-in-cheek reference to both the physical length of Fido's leash and his owner's perceived lack of control over him. Additionally, the word "bitches" can be interpreted both literally as female dogs and figuratively as women, adding a layer of humor and playful irreverence to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Fido, your leash is too long
The dog's leash is too long, allowing it to go places where it shouldn't be going.
You go where you don't belong
The dog is wandering into areas it shouldn't be in.
You've been digging in the rubble
The dog has been digging in areas where it shouldn't be digging, causing a mess.
Gettin' bitches in trouble
The dog has been causing trouble for female dogs.
I don't know where I went wrong
The owner is unsure why the dog is behaving this way.
You scare me out of my wits
The dog's misbehavior is causing fear for the owner.
When you do that Shitzhu
A play on words, using the breed name as a synonym for 's***.'
Fido, you've gone far enough
The dog has gone too far with its misbehavior.
I must have all of your love
The owner wants the dog to behave out of love and respect for them.
You just run out of luck
The dog's misbehavior has caught up with it.
I don't care what you fuck
A play on words, meaning that the owner doesn't care about the dog's mating habits as much as they care about its behavior.
Sounds lewd, but your leash is too long
The owner acknowledges that the lyrics may sound vulgar, but the true issue is the dog's misbehavior due to its long leash.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Stephin Merritt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind