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/
Long-Forgotten Fairytale
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whispering these familiar things
Talking to my little pet, smoking the same old cigarettes
I would have laughed
I saw you last in summertime
You said you hated long goodbyes
You said, "There's nothing to explain, in every life a little rain"
And a long-forgotten fairytale is in your eyes again
And I'm caught inside a dream world where the colors are too intense
And nothing is making sense
There's a floating town of ire down in a mist of mystery
There's an old enchanted castle and the princess there is me
Decked-out like a Christmas tree
I guess you've had your little joke
But I have lost my sense of humor
My medication's wearing off, for it's just not strong enough
To cover this
Then you kissed me like before
I found myself wanting more
And you tell that little lie that kept me hypnotized
Another kiss
And a long-forgotten fairytale is in your eyes again
And I'm caught inside a dream world where the colors are too intense
And nothing is making sense
There's a floating town of ire down in a mist of mystery
There's an old enchanted castle and the princess there is me
Decked-out like a Christmas tree
If somebody told me I'd succumb
If someone said I'd be so dumb
After all the sleepless nights, when I turned on all the lights
I would have hit them
But I have turned the other cheek
My voice trembles, my knees are weak
And you beat me once again
And I know what happens then
You raise the ante
And a long-forgotten fairytale is in your eyes again
And I'm caught inside a dream world where the colors are too intense
And nothing is making sense
The Magnetic Fields's song Long-Forgotten Fairytale tells the story of a person who reunites with a former lover who had hurt them in the past. The song begins with the singer being surprised by the presence of their old flame, smoking and talking to their pet. The two catch up and the former lover attempts to brush off what happened between them, using cliche phrases like "in every life, a little rain must fall."
As they spend more time together, the singer begins to feel caught up in a dream world with "colors that are too intense". It's clear that the former lover has a way of making them feel both enchanted and confused. The chorus references a "long-forgotten fairytale" that can be seen in the former lover's eyes, hinting at their tendency to lure the singer into a fantasy world.
As the song progresses, the singer seems to realize that they are falling victim to the same pattern of behavior that caused them pain in the past. They explain that their medication isn't strong enough to block out the emotions they are feeling. Toward the end of the song, the singer acknowledges that they are likely to be hurt again, but they cannot resist the lure of the fairytale in the former lover's eyes.
Overall, Long-Forgotten Fairytale tells a story of a toxic relationship that keeps drawing the singer back in, despite the pain and confusion it causes. The use of fairytale imagery serves to underscore the escapism and fantasy that is a hallmark of such dysfunctional relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone told me you'd be here
I was informed of your presence by someone else
Whispering these familiar things
You are saying things that I have heard before, in a quiet voice
Talking to my little pet, smoking the same old cigarettes
You're talking to my pet and smoking the same cigarettes you always have
I would have laughed
I would have laughed at the thought of seeing you again
I saw you last in summertime
The last time I saw you was in the summer
You said you hated long goodbyes
You expressed your dislike for prolonged farewells
You said, "There's nothing to explain, in every life a little rain"
You spoke of how sometimes bad things happen for no reason
And a long-forgotten fairytale is in your eyes again
Your eyes convey a sense of nostalgia and longing for something from the past
And I'm caught inside a dream world where the colors are too intense
I feel like I'm in a surreal, hyper-realistic dream world
And nothing is making sense
I can't make sense of what's happening
There's a floating town of ire down in a mist of mystery
There is a mysterious misty town full of anger and hostility
There's an old enchanted castle and the princess there is me
I feel like a princess in an old magical castle
Decked-out like a Christmas tree
I am dressed up elaborately, like a Christmas tree
I guess you've had your little joke
I assume you've played a little prank on me
But I have lost my sense of humor
I am no longer finding this amusing
My medication's wearing off, for it's just not strong enough
The medication I'm taking is losing its effectiveness
To cover this
To mask my feelings
Then you kissed me like before
You kissed me the same way you did before
I found myself wanting more
I realized I wanted more of your affection
And you tell that little lie that kept me hypnotized
You tell me a small falsehood that keeps me under your spell
Another kiss
We kiss again
If somebody told me I'd succumb
If someone had warned me that I would give in
If someone said I'd be so dumb
If someone had told me I would do something foolish
After all the sleepless nights, when I turned on all the lights
After many nights of insomnia, when I've had to turn on all the lights in the house
I would have hit them
I would have been angry with them for suggesting I would do something like this
But I have turned the other cheek
I have chosen to forgive and forget
My voice trembles, my knees are weak
I am visibly emotional and unsteady on my feet
And you beat me once again
You have defeated me once again, emotionally
And I know what happens then
I know what is going to happen next, I am familiar with this pattern
You raise the ante
You up the level of intensity or risk
And a long-forgotten fairytale is in your eyes again
You appear to be lost in a nostalgic memory or past fantasy
And I'm caught inside a dream world where the colors are too intense
I feel like I'm in a surreal, hyper-realistic dream world
And nothing is making sense
I can't make sense of what's happening
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Stephen Raymond Merritt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
allrequiredfields
I love how 1988 this tune is. I wish he'd do an entire album like it.
Ivan Clark
This song is too good!
Nigel Corney
Haven’t heard this song in a long time 😩
Ricky picture
time to listen to this over and over again
_——
this could be a new order song. love it!
Nate Burrows
This song goes so unimaginably hard
ilou
wow i'd not heard of this group before seeing an illustration based on this song by Luke Pearson and i really didn't expect the song to live up to the picture but by gum that was good!
Lisa779
So funny and relatable! 69 Love Songs is a masterpiece
Katie Bean
been listening since I was 8. I'm 23 now 😂
George
I don't get it, what's so funny? or who even cares?