The Horrible Party
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics


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Take me away from this horrible party
And let me get home to mother
Don't make me stay at this horrible party
And I'll never go to another

People are shedding their inhibitions and their clothes
Many are sprawled on divans painting each other's toes
Everyone seems to be stuffing something up his nose
A player piano is tinkling "anything goes" again and again

Deliver me from this horrible party
And I will give you some money
Why, why are we at this horrible party?
And I don't see what's so funny

Here in the darkness known hitherto only to moles
People are using the slang they picked up from the proles
Everyone's finding new uses for muffs and mink stoles
And "anything goes" goes again, how they know all the roles

Some plastic surgeon's done horrible things to poor jane
Making her terrifically popular, men are insane




"anything goes" is the motto and endless refrain
My dear, it was heaven until they ran out of champagne

Overall Meaning

The Magnetic Fields' song "The Horrible Party" is a comical yet dark portrayal of a scandalous and wild party that the singer is desperate to escape from. The first verse reveals the singer's strong desire to leave and return to the comfort of their mother's home. They are unimpressed with the party and are eager to never attend one again.


The second verse provides a description of the debauchery at the party. People are losing their inhibitions and clothes, and the atmosphere is one of indulgence and recklessness. The "player piano" repeatedly plays "anything goes," emphasizing the party-goers' disregard for social norms and expectations.


The singer pleads for someone to help them escape, offering money as incentive. The question of why they are at the party is posed, and they fail to see the humor in the situation. The third verse describes the participants' fascination with taboo acts and materials, such as mink stoles and drugs. The repetition of "anything goes" highlights the lack of moderation or restraint at the party. The final lines reveal a disturbing subplot about a woman named Jane who has undergone cosmetic surgery and is objectified by men. The line "My dear, it was heaven until they ran out of champagne" suggests that the high of the party experiences quickly fades once the material pleasures are exhausted.


Line by Line Meaning

Take me away from this horrible party
I want to leave this party because it is terrible


And let me get home to mother
I want to go back to my mother's house


Don't make me stay at this horrible party
Please don't force me to stay at this party


And I'll never go to another
I won't go to any party like this again


People are shedding their inhibitions and their clothes
People are becoming more uninhibited and taking off their clothes


Many are sprawled on divans painting each other's toes
Some people are lounging on couches and painting each other's toes


Everyone seems to be stuffing something up his nose
Everyone is snorting something


A player piano is tinkling "anything goes" again and again
A piano that plays by itself is repeatedly playing the song 'Anything Goes'


Deliver me from this horrible party
Please rescue me from this terrible party


And I will give you some money
I'll pay you if you help me leave


Why, why are we at this horrible party?
Why did we even come to this bad party?


And I don't see what's so funny
I don't find anything humorous about this gathering


Here in the darkness known hitherto only to moles
In this dim room that no one could see in before


People are using the slang they picked up from the proles
People are using slang they learned from lower-class people


Everyone's finding new uses for muffs and mink stoles
Everyone is discovering different ways to use fur accessories


And "anything goes" goes again, how they know all the roles
The song 'Anything Goes' keeps playing, and everyone knows what to do


Some plastic surgeon's done horrible things to poor jane
A plastic surgeon did something terrible to a woman named Jane


Making her terrifically popular, men are insane
Her altered appearance has made her very attractive, and men are crazy about her


"anything goes" is the motto and endless refrain
'Anything Goes' is the motto of this party that never stops


My dear, it was heaven until they ran out of champagne
It was wonderful at first, but then we ran out of champagne




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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