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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I'll Dream Alone
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've waited for you to
Put things to rest
Leaving you to do
Your thing without
Disturbance from from me
Somehow I doubt
You'll ever be back
If you ever need them
The phone still rings
And now that you're free
Of me at last
Your time is your own
Go have a blast
And I'll dream alone without you
I'll dream alone if I must
Because I guess our little castle
In the sky just turned to dust
So I'll dream alone, thats showbiz
I'll dream alone from here in
And I'll be trying not to dream
Of what once was and might have been
If only I'd known
I'll dream alone
Dreams, we had a few
But what kind of dream
Beats you black and blue
I wanted to scream
Don't go away
But nothing came out
All I could say
Is I'll dream alone without you
I'll dream alone if I must
Because I guess our little castle
In the sky just turned to dust
So I'll dream alone, thats showbiz
I'll dream alone from here in
And I'll be trying not to dream
Of what once was and might have been
If only I'd known
I'll dream alone
The Magnetic Fields's song "I'll Dream Alone" is about a person left alone after their relationship has ended. The lyrics describe how the singer has waited for their partner to put things to rest, leaving them to do their own thing without disturbance. The singer doubts that their partner will ever come back, and they are now free to live their life as they please. The singer is left to dream alone without their partner, and they lament that their little castle in the sky has turned to dust. The song reflects on the dreams they once had together, but ultimately acknowledges that it is time to move on and dream alone.
The song captures the raw emotions of heartbreak and the pain of loss. The singer is left with the memories of what once was and must learn how to move forward and dream alone. The lyrics convey a sense of melancholy and longing, but also hope for the future.
Overall, "I'll Dream Alone" is a poignant and insightful portrayal of the aftermath of a failed relationship. The lyrics are powerful and relatable, and the song's melody is hauntingly beautiful.
Line by Line Meaning
Long and lonely nights
Spending sleepless nights without you
I've waited for you to
Anticipating your return
Put things to rest
Resolve our issues
Leaving you to do
Giving you space
Your thing without
Pursuing your own interests without interruption
Disturbance from from me
Any interference from me
Somehow I doubt
Uncertainty about your return
You'll ever be back
If you will ever return or not
I'll keep your things
Holding onto your belongings
If you ever need them
Offering to return them if necessary
The phone still rings
Hoping for your call
And now that you're free
Now that you are not bound by our relationship
Of me at last
Free from me finally
Your time is your own
You have the freedom to do what you want
Go have a blast
Have fun
And I'll dream alone without you
Continue dreaming without your presence
I'll dream alone if I must
Dream alone if I have to
Because I guess our little castle
Our relationship that we built together
In the sky just turned to dust
Has crumbled away to nothing
So I'll dream alone, thats showbiz
Continuing to dream alone, that's life
I'll dream alone from here in
I'll continue to dream alone moving forward
And I'll be trying not to dream
Trying to avoid dreaming about the past
Of what once was and might have been
Of what our relationship was and could have been
If only I'd known
Regrets about not knowing the outcome of our relationship
Dreams, we had a few
We shared some dreams together
But what kind of dream
What kind of dream leads to pain and hurt
Beats you black and blue
Causes emotional and physical pain
I wanted to scream
Feeling the pain in silence
Don't go away
Wishing you would stay
But nothing came out
Speechless with emotion
Is I'll dream alone without you
Resigning to the reality of dreaming alone
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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