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)
http://www.houseoftomorrow.com/
The Things We Did
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That you told me just to tell me later that you'd told me so
Come flooding back to me now Come on Come flooding back to me now
All the things you said you'd never say and you said anyway
The things we did and didn't do The things we did and didn't do
Come flooding back to me now
The Magnetic Fields' song "The Things We Did" describes the singer's painful realization of all the things they didn't know and didn't want to know, which their partner had mentioned to them. The partner takes pleasure in proving the singer wrong by telling them "I told you so" later on. These suppressed memories, along with the things that the partner had said they would never say but ended up saying anyway, all come flooding back to the singer. These memories of the things they did and didn't do with each other all come rushing back to remind the singer of the pain and heartache they felt.
The lyrics of this song delve into the theme of regret, specifically the regret felt after a breakup. The singer is forced to confront all the things they did and didn't do with their partner, realizing how much they will miss them. As the memories come flooding back, they feel overwhelmed and it becomes too much to handle. The song is melancholic, giving off a somber tone, with its slow rhythm, making the listener echo the feelings of the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
All the things I knew I didn't know and didn't want to know
I was aware of my ignorance towards certain things and had no desire to learn about them
That you told me just to tell me later that you'd told me so
You informed me of those things only to later remind me that you already had
Come flooding back to me now Come on Come flooding back to me now
Memories of those things are suddenly overwhelming me
All the things you said you'd never say and you said anyway
You went against your own word and expressed things you claimed you never would
The things we did and didn't do The things we did and didn't do
Actions we took or didn't take in our relationship are being remembered
Come flooding back to me now
Memories keep coming back to me with great intensity
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
stopjoshgo
All the things I knew I didn't know
And didn't want to know
That you told me
Just to tell me later that you'd told me so
Come flooding back to me now
Come on come flooding back to me now
All the things you said you'd never say and you said anyway
The things we did and didn't do
The things we did and didn't do
Come flooding back to me now
ViceSaw
one of my favourite band ever! greetings from Italy !!!! i love you guys!
Kitty Scherbatskaya
your comment made me close this video:/
stopjoshgo
All the things I knew I didn't know
And didn't want to know
That you told me
Just to tell me later that you'd told me so
Come flooding back to me now
Come on come flooding back to me now
All the things you said you'd never say and you said anyway
The things we did and didn't do
The things we did and didn't do
Come flooding back to me now
James McGuire
Agreed, the description is why I keep coming back to this particular one.
DaeOh
Ah, I think this is a favorite.
ya boi
facts
B V
genius
classic max
@Courty56 really? just came back to this video after a long time, and I just remembered that I had accidentally hit the dislike button. ACCIDENTALLY. I sure do have a soul. That's good, because that means no one REALLY dislikes this song ;)
ezbake71
Love.
Nathan Elias
same melody as Hair - Electric Blues