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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Jeremy
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
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We were young like our country, learning old ways to be young
Random driving around with you in my dilapidated car
Like Isadora Duncan II in impossibly long white scarves
(C): Autumn leaves, diaries, Tennesse and Jeremy
Suddenly, willow trees, memories of Jeremy.
Like a Galapagos turtle we grow old and stay that way,
Build a nest in the sand dunes, lay our eggs and walk away
And I noticed anomalies that you'd rather not see explained.
(C) We drove, canopy down, in the scalding rain on the one day we were young
The house we bought was really a lake
Otters scampered down the halls
There were whirlpools in the floor and sails
You're alone and it's over
You're alone with your gun
You're alone
From now on you're all alone
And you're not young
The Magnetic Fields’ song “Jeremy” is a nostalgic and bittersweet reflection on the wildness and impetuousness of youth, and the inevitability of getting older. The lyrics describe a time when the singer was young and reckless, driving aimlessly around in a beat-up car with a companion named Jeremy. The two of them were just figuring out what it meant to be young, and they sometimes got it wrong. The singer compares their youthful exuberance to the country they lived in, which was also young and tentative in its ways.
The song hints at a romance between the singer and Jeremy, who is described as a mysterious and alluring figure. They shared many memorable moments together, such as driving with the top of the car down in scalding rain or walking through fields of autumn leaves. However, as they age, the memories start to fade, leaving only random snapshots, like the sudden image of willow trees, to remind the singer of their youthful escapades. The song ends on a somber note, with the image of the lonely figure of Jeremy, alone with his gun, having lost his youth and his former companion.
Line by Line Meaning
We were young like the future, we were young and always wrong
We were inexperienced and naive, imagining how we would turn out in the future, while continuously making mistakes.
We were young like our country, learning old ways to be young
Our youth was like our country's, trying to understand past traditions of being young and growing up.
Random driving around with you in my dilapidated car
We went on aimless drives in my rundown car, in each other's company.
Like Isadora Duncan II in impossibly long white scarves
I associated myself with Isadora Duncan, renowned for her long scarves, alluding to unrestrained movements and freedom.
(C): Autumn leaves, diaries, Tennesse and Jeremy Suddenly, willow trees, memories of Jeremy.
The chorus recalls Tennessee and Jeremy, evoking memories and sentimental recollections, as well as yearning for the past.
Like a Galapagos turtle we grow old and stay that way, Build a nest in the sand dunes, lay our eggs and walk away
We age and remain the same, like a Galapagos turtle. Creating a nest in the sand, laying eggs and leaving, possibly referring to raising children that go off on their own.
I was writing our dreams down, making maps of an unseen plane;
I wrote down our aspirations and dreams, while trying to navigate and understand a future that was uncertain.
And I noticed anomalies that you'd rather not see explained.
I observed irregularities that you didn't want to understand or couldn't perceive.
(C) We drove, canopy down, in the scalding rain on the one day we were young
In the chorus, we drove with the top down in blazing rain, reminiscing about a fleeting moment of our youth.
The house we bought was really a lake Otters scampered down the halls There were whirlpools in the floor and sails
The house we bought turned out to be a body of water with otters running around, with swirling vortexes in the floor and sails.
You're alone and it's over You're alone with your gun You're alone From now on you're all alone And you're not young
You are alone, perhaps in a final stage of life, with no one else around, carrying a gun. You will be alone from now on and no longer young.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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