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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Sweet-Lovin
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For a million years of rain
But somehow that always seems to be enough,
When love falls from the sky, nobody ever asks why
You just take it or you leave it where it was
But there's just one kind of love
You can spend your life dreaming of
Some have traveled far and wide
Some have given up and died
For the love of a sweet-lovin' man
Some have broken down and cried
Some have turned to dust inside
But I'll stay right here and hide
In the arms of my sweet-lovin' man
Until you've had sweet lovin'
There's no lovin' worth the name
But you can go blind from crying all the time
And who said life was easy
And who said a man was fair
Well I wish you well
But keep your paws off mine
You can't buy one at the mall
But he'll come if you just call
The Magnetic Fields's song "Sweet-Lovin" appears to be a sad love song, one that has resonated with many people who have experienced the pain of unrequited love. The opening lines of the song, "There's an hour of sunshine, for a million years of rain," seem to be suggesting that love is the one thing that makes life worth living, despite all the hardships that we go through. The line "When love falls from the sky, nobody ever asks why" brings to mind the fact that love can come at the most unexpected moments, and that its source is often mysterious and inexplicable.
Perhaps the most poignant part of the song is the chorus, where the singer describes the type of love that is most important to her. "But there's just one kind of love, you can spend your life dreaming of, for the love of a sweet-lovin' man." This seems to be a love that is unconditional, supportive, and comforting, and the fact that the singer calls it "sweet-lovin'" suggests that it is gentle, warm, and nurturing. She goes on to describe the lengths that other people have gone to in order to find this kind of love, including traveling, crying, breaking down, and even dying. "But I'll stay right here and hide, in the arms of my sweet-lovin' man," she concludes, suggesting that she has found what she was looking for.
The song can be interpreted in many ways, depending on the listener's own experiences of love and loss. Some might see it as a call to appreciate the love that we have in our lives, even when it seems scarce or difficult to find. Others might see it as a warning against settling for less than we deserve, or a reminder that true love is worth waiting for.
Line by Line Meaning
There's an hour of sunshine,
Even though there are many instances of sadness in life, there are also fleeting moments of happiness
For a million years of rain
Despite the prolonged feeling of sadness, which may even feel like eternity, there are some moments of happiness
But somehow that always seems to be enough,
The small moments of happiness are enough to make up for the prolonged feeling of sadness
When love falls from the sky, nobody ever asks why
Even though love may come out of nowhere, people don't question why it's happening, they just accept it
You just take it or you leave it where it was
People either accept love or let it go if they don't want it
But there's just one kind of love
There is only one type of love that is truly worth pursuing
You can spend your life dreaming of
Many people spend their entire lives fantasizing about this type of love
For the love of a sweet-lovin' man
The song is about the love of a specific type of man
Some have traveled far and wide
People have gone to great lengths to find this type of love
Some have given up and died
Some people have lost hope and even died without ever finding this love
Some have broken down and cried
Others have become extremely emotional when they experience this love
Some have turned to dust inside
Some people have been destroyed from within due to this love
But I'll stay right here and hide
The singer will stay in a safe place with the person she loves
In the arms of my sweet-lovin' man
The singer feels safe and loved when she's with the man she loves
Until you've had sweet lovin'
The song suggests that you won't understand the true nature of love until you've experienced a specific type of love
There's no lovin' worth the name
Other types of love are inferior and not worth pursuing
But you can go blind from crying all the time
It's possible to become extremely emotional and lose sight of what's important if you're constantly chasing love
And who said life was easy
Life is difficult and there are no guarantees when it comes to love
And who said a man was fair
People are often disappointed with the way others treat them, especially when it comes to love
Well I wish you well
The singer wants the listener to be happy
But keep your paws off mine
At the same time, the singer is protective of the love she has found
You can't buy one at the mall
This type of love can't be purchased or found easily
But he'll come if you just call
The song ends on a hopeful note, suggesting that if you're patient and persistent, you can find this type of love
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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