The Magnetic Fields is a New York-based group fronted by Stephin Merritt. R… Read Full Bio ↴The Magnetic Fields is a New York-based group fronted by Stephin Merritt. Recent albums released under the name "The Magnetic Fields" usually consist of synth-pop music in a 1980s style underlying clever lyrics which are often heavily ironic. While synth-pop often forms the foundation of their music, The Magnetic Fields' music borrows from many other styles, notably country, folk and indie pop.

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 Death of Ferdinand de Saussure
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics

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I met Ferdinand de Saussure
On a night like this
On love he said
"I'm not so sure
I even know what it is
No understanding
No closure
It is a nemesis

You can't use a bulldozer
To study orchids"

He said
So we don't know anything
You don't know anything
I don't know anything
about love
But we are nothing
You are nothing
I am nothing
Without love

I'm just a great composer
And not a violent man
But I lost my composure
And I shot Ferdinand
Crying "it's well and kosher
to say you don't understand
but this is for Holland-Dozier-Holland"

His last words were
We don't know anything

His fading words were
We don't know anything

Overall Meaning

The Magnetic Fields's song 'The Death of Ferdinand de Saussure' is a tribute and a reference to the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure. The song speaks about the confusion and uncertainty surrounding love and relationships. The singer of the song encounters Ferdinand de Saussure and asks him about love, to which Saussure responds that he doesn't understand it, and that no one does. The phrase, "You can't use a bulldozer to study orchids," suggests that love is too complicated and nuanced to be examined in the same way as more concrete things.

The song takes a turn when the singer, who claims to be a great composer, reveals that he has shot and killed Saussure. The line "Crying 'it's well and kosher to say you don't understand but this is for Holland-Dozier-Holland'" is a reference to the songwriting and production team known for their work with Motown Records. The implication is that Holland-Dozier-Holland's songs about love are responsible for the confusion and turmoil that led to Saussure's death. His last words, "We don't know anything," are a haunting reminder that even great minds like his can't figure out the mysteries of love.

Overall, 'The Death of Ferdinand de Saussure' is a complex and thought-provoking song that tackles big questions about love, human nature, and violence.

The Death of Ferdinand de SaussureThe Magnetic Fields Lyrics

The Death of Ferdinand de Saussure
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics