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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Tar-Heel Boy
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bout a girl who ain't comin' home
By n by, by n by
She worked too long in the mill
She's gone to those rolling hills in the sky
We're barely off Mama's milk
And we're locked in here weavin' silk
We can't buy, we can't buy
I been drinkin' here all alone
All night long, all day long
They shot a nine-year-old boy
For a hundred dollars
The song "Tar-Heel Boy" by The Magnetic Fields tells the story of a young man who is singing about a girl who has passed away. She had worked in the mill for too long and eventually, she went to the afterlife in the rolling hills in the sky. The young man's town is impoverished, and the mill workers struggle to make ends meet. The boy sings about how they are stuck in their situation while others like the boy who was shot for a hundred dollars are even worse off. The lyrics showcase the harsh reality of poverty, loss, and the struggles of living in a working-class community.
The song's lyrics reflect the band's typical songwriting style of being candid and sincere, displaying the reality in its undiluted form. The contrast between the idyllic image of the rolling hills and the harshness of life in the mill town showcases the themes of hopelessness and desolate hope that is common among lesser-known American communities. The song also highlights how alcoholism is another prevalent issue amongst the inhabitants of such towns.
Line by Line Meaning
Tar-heel boy sings a song
The singer, a boy from North Carolina, is singing a song.
Bout a girl who ain't comin' home
The song is about a girl who has passed away and will not be returning.
By n by, by n by
The chorus or refrain of the song.
She worked too long in the mill
The girl worked long and hard in a mill, likely leading to her death.
She's gone to those rolling hills in the sky
The girl has passed away and gone to heaven.
We're barely off Mama's milk
The singer and likely many others in the community are young and inexperienced.
And we're locked in here weavin' silk
The community is stuck in a cycle of poverty and working in textile mills.
We can't buy, we can't buy
The community is struggling financially and cannot afford basic necessities.
While you been off in Oregon
The artist is likely singing to someone who left North Carolina for a better life in Oregon.
I been drinkin' here all alone
The artist has been struggling emotionally and has turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism.
All night long, all day long
The chorus or refrain of the song.
They shot a nine-year-old boy
A tragic event that occurred in the community, highlighting the violence and injustice present in their world.
For a hundred dollars
The boy's life was taken for a minimal amount of money, emphasizing the lack of value placed on human life in this community.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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