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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How Fucking Romantic
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the stars are out
Twinkling twinkling twinkling
And fluttering about
What a tacky sunset
What a vulgar moon
Play another charming
Rogers and Hart tune
How fucking romantic
Must we really waltz?
Drag another cliche
Howling from the vaults
Love you obviously
Like you really care
Even though you treat me
Like a dancing bear
Toss your bear a goldfish
As he cycles by
Don't forget to feed your
Bear or it'll die
The Magnetic Fields's song How Fucking Romantic is a witty critique on romantic rituals, which have become clichés that make love seem like an artificial and rehearsed performance. The singer of the song is disillusioned with the traditional symbols of love: stars, sunset, moon, and music. They find them tacky and vulgar, and question whether there is any real emotion behind them. The singer seems to be aware of the ridiculousness of the situation and mocks the need to waltz to a cheesy tune while pretending to care for each other.
The singer's disillusionment with love is also evident in the lines "Love you obviously, like you really care / Even though you treat me like a dancing bear." Here, the singer compares their relationship to a circus, where they are forced to perform tricks for the amusement of their partner. The line "Toss your bear a goldfish / As he cycles by" is a metaphor for the partner's neglect and indifference towards the singer, who is reduced to a trained animal.
The song is a commentary on the commodification of love and the way it has been turned into a consumerist spectacle. The Magnetic Fields's use of irony and sarcasm highlights the absurdity of these conventions and critiques the way they have become an empty performance that lacks any genuine emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
How fucking romantic
Sarcastically commenting on how cliché and unoriginal the romantic setting is.
All the stars are out
Pointing out the obvious, yet unimportant fact that the stars are visible in the sky.
Twinkling twinkling twinkling
Mocking the overused nursery rhyme 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' to further emphasize the lack of originality in the situation.
And fluttering about
Adding an unnecessary detail to further the sarcastic tone of the artist.
What a tacky sunset
Expressing distaste for the setting's attempt at being romantic and failing to impress the artist.
What a vulgar moon
Continuing the disapproving commentary of the unimpressive romantic atmosphere with a negative description of the moon.
Play another charming
Sarcastically suggesting the playlist of the event has been impressive so far in a way that reveals otherwise.
Rogers and Hart tune
Citing a specific composer duo that is commonly associated with romantic songs, to further emphasize the sarcasm.
Must we really waltz?
Questioning the necessity of performing such a traditional, yet dated dance.
Drag another cliche
Disdainfully suggesting that the artist believes even more cliches will follow.
Howling from the vaults
Using a dramatic phrase to emphasize the idea that the cliches are very old and overused.
Love you obviously
Conveying that the artist's affection is evident, though it may not be reciprocated or valued.
Like you really care
Sardonically questioning the significance of the other person's response to the singer's love.
Even though you treat me
Acknowledging that despite the other person's behavior towards the singer, they still harbor feelings of attachment.
Like a dancing bear
Comparing the singer's feelings of being used to those of a circus animal being forced to perform for others.
Toss your bear a goldfish
Expressing the idea that the artist is satisfied with mere gestures or attention even though it may not be genuine or lasting.
As he cycles by
Adding an overly descriptive detail to the image of tossing the bear a 'goldfish', further emphasizing the sarcasm and lack of genuine effort put forth.
Don't forget to feed your
Admonishing the other person not to neglect the singer's needs or feelings, despite the lack of reciprocity.
Bear or it'll die
An exaggerated statement to imply that the singer's feelings are heavily dependent on the other person's actions and attention.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Stephin Merritt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind