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 Only Boy in Town
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For then I could not play the field and let you down
I would not go half-mad for each passing lad
With eyes of blue, green, gray, or brown
No, if only you were the only boy in town
Oh if only you were the only boy in France
Our life would not be like one long, long, long seance
Instead of only for the nonce
If-if only you were the only boy in France
With the only boy in town
With the only available male
In the loneliest possible world
There would be no daily betrayal
Oh if only you were the only boy alive
And I were the queen of our small, small, small beehive
Though more pricks than a cactus may always distract us
Would they all take up all my sex drive?
Not-not-not if you were the only boy alive
Oh if only you were the only boy in town
Oh if only you were the only boy in France
The Magnetic Fields's song "The Only Boy in Town" portrays a hopeless romantic who longs for a world where her attention is devoted to only one man, who is the only viable option in town. With its melancholic tones and dreamy lyrics, it expresses the feeling of heartbreak and desire. The singer laments about her difficulty in finding true love, as she gets easily distracted by the different men she meets. She imagines a world where the only man in town is the one for her, and there's no need to look for anyone else, which sounds like a French romantic novel.
It's an incredibly relatable song that shows how one's heart can wander for various people, leading to disappointment and heartbreak. The lyrics convey this idea beautifully, especially in lines like "Our life would not be like one long, long, long séance." This shows that the singer's love life feels more like a tedious ritual, rather than an enjoyable experience.
In conclusion, "The Only Boy in Town" is a song about longing for the one and the feeling of being lost in the sea of people. The desire to find the right person amidst a sea of options is palpable, making it a memorable and relatable track.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh if only you were the only boy in town
If there were no other boys around, I wouldn't be tempted to stray and hurt you by playing the field.
For then I could not play the field and let you down
Without other choices, I couldn't hurt you by dating around.
I would not go half-mad for each passing lad
I wouldn't be tempted by every attractive guy that came my way.
With eyes of blue, green, gray, or brown
I wouldn't be swayed by just their physical appearance.
No, if only you were the only boy in town
If you were the only option for me, I would stay faithful and committed to you.
Oh if only you were the only boy in France
If you were the only guy in the country, we wouldn't have to compete with so many others for each other's attention.
Our life would not be like one long, long, long seance
Our life would not revolve around endless longing and unfulfilled desire.
I think I would endeavor to love you forever
I would try my best to love and commit to you for the long haul.
Instead of only for the nonce
Instead of just for the moment or a short time.
With the only boy in town
If you were the sole male option, we wouldn't have to worry about jealousy or competition.
With the only available male
With you as my only option for romance and love.
In the loneliest possible world
In a world where everyone else is taken or unavailable.
There would be no daily betrayal
We wouldn't have to worry about cheating or unfaithfulness because we would be each other's only option.
Oh if only you were the only boy alive
If everyone else had died off, we would only have each other to rely on for companionship and love.
And I were the queen of our small, small, small beehive
I would rule our small world together, and we could love and support each other completely.
Though more pricks than a cactus may always distract us
Although there will always be other attractive people, we could resist temptation because we only have each other.
Would they all take up all my sex drive?
Would other's attractiveness diminish my attraction to you?
Not-not-not if you were the only boy alive
I wouldn't be tempted by others if you were the only man left alive.
Oh if only you were the only boy in town
If you were the only male option, we would have a stronger and more committed relationship.
Oh if only you were the only boy in France
If we didn't have to compete with others for love, our relationship would be stronger and more fulfilling.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: STEPHIN MERRITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind