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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Sugar World
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sugar give me the love I need to carry on living.
Living without you I'd just die
With you, with you I can hold my head up high
And tell the crowd that I'm so proud
It makes me want to cry
Sugar World what can I do
Sugar World you're so Sweet
You're a Sugar World
To me you're champagne or ruhr wine
Will you make up your mind
You're lemon or you're lime
You're pecan or praline
You're sky bar or cloud nine
Sugar save me, come on save me from myself.
Enslave me, I never wanted anything else.
Looking, looking into your candy eyes.
Talking, talking about the day when I can
Make a vow, but that's not now.
It makes me want to cry.
Sugar World of you
Sugar World what can I do
Sugar World you're so Sweet
You're a Sugar World
To me you're champagne or ruhr wine
Will you make up your mind
You're lemon or you're lime
You're pecan or praline
You're sky bar or cloud nine
The Magnetic Fields's song Sugar World is a love song that describes the overwhelming joy and addiction that love can bring. The lyrics depict someone who has done wrong and is seeking forgiveness and salvation from their lover. The first verse, “Please forgive me for all the things I've done,” acknowledges the guilt and mistakes made in the past, while the chorus, “Sugar give me the love I need to carry on living. Living without you I'd just die,” portrays the deep longing and need for love in the present.
The second verse talks about the confidence and validation that love brings, “With you, with you I can hold my head up high. And tell the crowd that I'm so proud. It makes me want to cry,” and the following verses continue the theme of addiction to the sweetness of love. The line, “Sugar World what can I do. Sugar World you're so sweet,” repeats itself, emphasizing the all-consuming power of love.
Overall, the lyrics of Sugar World illustrate the intense emotions of love - the highs, the lows, the need for redemption, and the complete surrender to the overwhelming sweetness and addiction of it.
Line by Line Meaning
Please forgive me for all the things I've done.
I am asking for your forgiveness for any wrong I have done in the past.
Sugar give me the love I need to carry on living.
Your love is what I need to keep living and moving forward.
Living without you I'd just die
I cannot imagine living without you; you are my everything.
With you, with you I can hold my head up high
When I am with you, I feel proud and confident.
And tell the crowd that I'm so proud
I want the world to know how proud I am to be with you.
It makes me want to cry
My emotions are so strong that they make me want to cry.
Sugar World of you
My world revolves around you and your sweetness.
Sugar World what can I do
I am helpless when it comes to your irresistible sweetness.
Sugar World you're so Sweet
You are incredibly sweet and special to me.
You're a Sugar World
You represent all things sweet and desirable in my life.
To me you're champagne or ruhr wine
You are like champagne or a fine wine to me - sophisticated and delightful.
Will you make up your mind
I cannot decide whether you are like lemon or lime, pecan or praline, or sky bar or cloud nine - you are too amazing to choose just one.
You're lemon or you're lime
You are like the tangy and fresh taste of lemon or lime to me.
You're pecan or praline
You are like the nuttiness and sweetness of pecan or praline to me.
You're sky bar or cloud nine
You are like the dreamy and heavenly experience of sky bar or cloud nine to me.
Sugar save me, come on save me from myself.
Your sweet love can save me from my own negative thoughts and emotions.
Enslave me, I never wanted anything else.
I want to be completely consumed by your love and devotion.
Looking, looking into your candy eyes.
I am entranced by your lovely and captivating eyes.
Talking, talking about the day when I can
We often talk about our future together and our hopes and dreams.
Make a vow, but that's not now.
We are not ready to make a commitment yet, but we are working towards it.
It makes me want to cry.
My emotions are so strong that they make me want to cry again.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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