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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The Cactus Where You Heart Should Be
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Little flowers so though it's always pricking me
My ardor never sours the cactus where your heart
Once was has power to rend and flay I stick because
I'm stuck, because I just can't tear myself away
The Magnetic Fields’ “The Cactus Where Your Heart Should Be” is a song about a person who is in a complicated relationship where the other person has a prickly and difficult personality. The lyrics describe the cactus as having lovely little flowers, but despite the beauty, it always pricks the singer. However, despite the pain, the singer’s love for this person never fades. The cactus used to be a heart but it now has the power to rend and flay. The singer is stuck in this relationship and unable to leave because of the strong attachment they feel.
The use of the cactus as a metaphor is particularly interesting in this song. Cacti are known for their ability to withstand harsh conditions and thrive in dry environments. They have protective spines to deter others from touching them, but they also have beautiful and colorful flowers that bloom in the harshest of conditions. The imagery in the song, therefore, paints a picture of someone with a fierce exterior but perhaps also a hidden beauty.
Another interesting element to this song is the contrast between the prickliness of the cactus and the beauty of its flowers. The use of this contrast is a clever way to illustrate the complexity of the relationship between the singer and the other person. It is clear that this person has a difficult personality, but they also have redeeming qualities that make the singer unable to completely walk away.
Line by Line Meaning
The cactus where your heart should be has lovely little flowers so though it's always pricking me
Despite the constant pain I feel from the thorns of the cactus that has replaced your heart, I can't help but notice the beauty of the little flowers that have bloomed on it.
My ardor never sours the cactus where your heart once was has power to rend and flay
My passion for you never diminishes, even though the cactus that has grown in place of your heart has the power to hurt and wound me.
I stick because I'm stuck, because I just can't tear myself away
I am unable to remove myself from this painful situation because I am trapped by my feelings for you and the power that the cactus has over me.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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