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 Dolls
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We fritter away
The long afternoon
Of a warm summer day
With extended pinkies and pink cloisonne
Cups and saucers and pots
And a liberty tray
That's why we take our tea
At the dolls' tea party
At the dolls' tea party
We twitter along
We prattle and tattle
On who's done who wrong
On who's thin
Who's out
And who's best at mah jong
Oh and where to buy fabulous things for a song
That's why we take our tea
At the dolls' tea party
But the cakes are the cakes, are why everyone's there
They're not diatetic in any way there
Try one and you'll have a few pounds to spare
Try another one, what do you care?
At the dolls', we're all in our glittering best
There will be a test on who's best and worst dressed
But we won't have it said we're fashion obsessed
We're just prettier ladies than most of the rest
That's why we take our tea
At the dolls' tea party
The Magnetic Fields' song "The Dolls" is a whimsical and playful tune that transports the listener to a doll's tea party. The lyrics describe the scene of frittering away the long afternoon of a warm summer day, complete with extended pinkies to drink tea from pink cloisonne cups and saucers, as well as pots and a liberty tray. The dolls twitter along, prattling and tattling about who's done who wrong, who's thin, who's out, and who's best at mah jong. They also discuss where to buy fabulous things for a song. But most importantly, everyone is there for the cakes, which are not dietetic in any way, and are sure to leave the listener with a few pounds to spare.
The dolls are all in their glittering best, and there will be a test on who's best and worst dressed. However, they won't have it said they're fashion obsessed, as they're just prettier ladies than most of the rest. The dolls' tea party is a place where they can be their best selves, indulge in sugary treats, and enjoy each other's company. This song speaks to the idea that sometimes it's important to take a break from reality and embrace our inner childlike curiosity and imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
At the dolls' tea party
We come together at the dolls' tea party
We fritter away
We waste time
The long afternoon
During the long summer afternoon
Of a warm summer day
When the weather is warm and pleasant
With extended pinkies and pink cloisonne
We use proper etiquette with our pinky fingers extended while drinking from our pink cloisonne cups
Cups and saucers and pots
We carefully choose our tea cups, saucers, and pots
And a liberty tray
We serve our treats on a tray decorated in a liberty style
At the dolls' tea party
We gather at the dolls' tea party
We twitter along
We gossip and chit-chat
We prattle and tattle
We talk indiscreetly about others
On who's done who wrong
We discuss who may have wronged others
On who's thin
We talk about people's weight
Who's out
Who's not in fashion
And who's best at mah jong
We even discuss who's the best at the game mah jong
Oh and where to buy fabulous things for a song
We trade secrets on where to buy treasures for a low price
That's why we take our tea
That's why we enjoy socializing at the dolls' tea party
But the cakes are the cakes, are why everyone's there
The real reason everyone attends is for the delicious desserts
They're not diatetic in any way there
The desserts are not healthy and do not follow a diet
Try one and you'll have a few pounds to spare
If you indulge in a dessert, you might gain some weight
Try another one, what do you care?
But we all can't resist the temptation of having another dessert
At the dolls', we're all in our glittering best
We dress up in our best sparkling outfits at the dolls' tea party
There will be a test on who's best and worst dressed
We compare and critique each other's fashion choices
But we won't have it said we're fashion obsessed
We deny being too obsessed with fashion
We're just prettier ladies than most of the rest
We like to think we are just naturally more beautiful than others
That's why we take our tea
That's why we come together to socialize at the dolls' tea party
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: STEPHIN RAYMOND MERRITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind