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 Sun Goes Down and the World Goes Dancing
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the stars come out and they all go dancing
And there is nothing I'd like more
Than a twirl across this rickety old floor
Well I don't know why but I just feel like dancing
I can't imagine why but I feel like dancing
And there is nothing in this world
Maybe it's you
You know your eyes are awful blue
Maybe it's more
Maybe you're all I ever waited for
After all the endless nights when I wished I could still cry
The Magnetic Fields's song "The Sun Goes Down and the World Goes Dancing" is a love song that celebrates the beauty of dancing under the stars. The song begins by describing the fall of night, when the sun goes down and the stars come out to dance. The singer expresses a desire to join in the revelry and participate in the metaphorical dance of life. He longs to twirl across the rickety old floor with his partner, to lose himself in the moment and forget about the weight of the world.
The lyrics convey a sense of joy and lightheartedness, but also of vulnerability and longing. The singer's desire to dance is rooted in his feelings for his partner, who he believes might be the one he's been waiting for. He attributes his desire to dance to her eyes, which are "awful blue." The lyrics suggest that the singer has been through difficult times in the past, as evidenced by the line "After all the endless nights when I wished I could still cry." The singer's desire to dance represents a desire to break free from the weight of the past, to embrace the present, and to be fully present with his partner.
Overall, "The Sun Goes Down and the World Goes Dancing" is a song about the transformative power of love and the joy of living in the moment. It is a celebration of the beauty of nature and the simple pleasures of life, and it encourages listeners to embrace the present and take joy in the dance of life.
Line by Line Meaning
So the sun goes down and the world goes dancing
As the day turns into night, people feel an urge to let loose and dance, reveling in the joyful energy that surrounds them.
And the stars come out and they all go dancing
As night falls, the stars appear in the sky, and people continue to dance beneath their twinkling light, lost in the magic of the moment.
And there is nothing I'd like more
Than a twirl across this rickety old floor
The singer is overcome with the desire to dance, yearning for nothing more than to spin and prance with a partner on a slightly unstable dancefloor.
Well I don't know why but I just feel like dancing
I can't imagine why but I feel like dancing
Despite not knowing the reason behind their sudden increase in energy, the singer feels an irresistible urge to move and groove to the music, swept up in the rhythm and melody of the night.
And there is nothing in this world
That I'd like better than a twirl across your rickety old floor
The singer feels a deep connection to a particular dance partner, and yearns to take them for a spin on the dancefloor, captivated by their energy and spirit.
Maybe it's you
You know your eyes are awful blue
The singer wonders if their sudden desire to dance is due to the presence of a particular person, noting the captivating blue color of their eyes.
Maybe it's more
Maybe you're all I ever waited for
As the night goes on, the singer realizes that their connection to their dance partner is deeper than they thought, and that they may have been searching for someone like them for a long time.
After all the endless nights when I wished I could still cry
The singer reflects on difficult times in their past, when they wished they could feel something as deeply as they are feeling the pull of the dancefloor and the passion between them and their partner.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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