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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Painted Flower
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left in the sun I will slowly fade
Fade to nothing like I'd never been made
Like I'd never been made
I'm just a painted flower, a frozen bloom
Left alone in some forgotten room
A fly in amber, I pose in my tomb
I'm only drops of paint in a silver frame
Without an aim and without a name
Gathering dust, every day just the same
Every day just the same.
Interpretation:
The song 'Painted Flower' by The Magnetic Fields seems to be about the feeling of being forgotten, obsolete, and unimportant. The singer compares themselves to a painted flower on silk brocade, slowly fading away as if they were never even there. This symbolizes the transitory nature of life, how all beautiful things eventually fade and disappear.
The singer sees themselves as a frozen bloom, trapped in time and forgotten in some abandoned room. They compare themselves to a fly in amber, unable to move or change, and merely posing in their own tomb. This symbolizes the feeling of being trapped or stuck in a situation, unable to move on or make any changes.
Finally, the singer compares themselves to drops of paint in a silver frame, meaningless and forgotten. They see themselves as gathering dust every day, stuck in the same routine and without any purpose or direction. This symbolizes the feeling of being trapped in a mundane existence, without any joy or fulfillment.
Overall, the song 'Painted Flower' is a poignant portrayal of the feeling of being unimportant and forgotten, stuck in a situation that seems unchangeable and without any purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm just a painted flower on silk brocade
I am a mere depiction of a flower on fabric material, having no physical or real existence.
Left in the sun I will slowly fade
When exposed to the sun, my painted image will gradually blur and eventually vanish over time.
Fade to nothing like I'd never been made
As I gradually disappear, it will be as though I never existed at all.
Like I'd never been made
I have no significance or value, as I am nothing but a painted image on fabric.
I'm just a painted flower, a frozen bloom
Just like a flower that has been preserved through freezing, I am a painting that remains the same, unchanging and unaltered.
Left alone in some forgotten room
I am left in a hidden, unvisited place where I am no longer noticed or remembered.
A fly in amber, I pose in my tomb
Like an insect forever suspended and preserved in amber, I too am trapped and remain in my confined space.
I pose in my tomb
I am displayed as an object of beauty, yet I am unable to move or change, stuck in my stagnant state.
I'm only drops of paint in a silver frame
I am made up of small portions of paint, confined within a silver frame.
Without an aim and without a name
I lack any specific purpose or identity, merely existing as a random painting within the frame.
Gathering dust, every day just the same
As time passes, I am neglected and ignored, collecting dust and remaining unchanged in my static position.
Every day just the same.
Every day that passes, I remain trapped in the frame, unable to escape or change in any way.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEPHIN RAYMOND MERRITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind