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)
http://www.houseoftomorrow.com/
I Was Born
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Being someone new
Being torn, seeing someone who died
As you grew
Growing older is killing a child
Who laughed and smiled
At anything
Growing colder and less and less wild
I was young, then not so young
Scary either way
One more rung down that black ladder
Every day
One more floor
Down the elevator
To oblivion, what fun
But the singularly awful one
Is being born
The Magnetic Fields's song "I Was Born" is a haunting reflection on the experience of growing up and the inevitability of death. The opening lines of the song set a tone of melancholy, as the singer laments being born and having to start fresh as a new person. The sense of loss is further emphasized in the lines "Being torn, seeing someone who died / As you grew," which suggest that the singer has lost a part of themselves as they've matured.
As the song continues, the theme of mortality comes to the forefront. The singer describes the process of aging as "killing a child" and notes that they are "growing colder and less and less wild." These lines suggest that as we age, we lose some of the vitality and spirit that characterized us in youth, and we become more jaded and cynical.
The final lines of the song bring these themes together in a powerful way, with the singer declaring that "the singularly awful" experience is not death itself, but being born in the first place. This statement underscores the sense of loss and grief that pervades the song, as well as the fear of mortality that is a universal human experience.
Overall, "I Was Born" is a poignant meditation on the cycle of life and the inevitability of death. The song's somber tone and introspective lyrics make it a powerful reflection on the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born, I hate this part
Being brought to this world is not a pleasant experience for me
Being someone new
I am forced to assume a new identity as a result of birth
Being torn, seeing someone who died As you grew
Growing up involves losing the person you once were
Growing older is killing a child Who laughed and smiled At anything
Maturing means losing the innocence and joy of childhood
Growing colder and less and less wild And learning to say
As time passes, one becomes more subdued and reserved
I was young, then not so young Scary either way
Age is a terrifying concept, no matter if you are young or old
One more rung down that black ladder Every day One more floor Down the elevator To oblivion, what fun
Each day brings one step closer to death, which is inevitable and frightening
But the singularly awful one Is being born
Of all life's trials, the worst is having to enter into existence in the first place
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Stephin Raymond Merritt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind