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 Things We Did and Didn't Do
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
In The Magnetic Fields' song "The Things We Did and Didn't Do," Stephin Merritt is reflecting on a past relationship and the lingering memories that continue to haunt him. The opening lines, "All the things I knew I didn't know and didn't want to know," indicate that he was aware of certain truths but chose to ignore them. However, his partner still felt the need to share these truths with him only to later use them as a means of saying "I told you so." This highlights the theme of regret and the feeling of being duped or misled in a relationship.
The chorus, "Come flooding back to me now," suggests that these memories are returning and overwhelming Merritt. He is unable to escape them and is facing the consequences of the decisions they made or didn't make as a couple. The line, "All the things you said you'd never say and you said anyway," is reflective of the destructive patterns many couples fall into despite their best intentions. The repetition of "The things we did and didn't do" further emphasizes the idea of missed opportunities or actions taken that cannot be undone.
Overall, "The Things We Did and Didn't Do" is a poignant reflection on a past relationship that is unable to be fully reconciled.
Line by Line Meaning
All the things I knew I didn't know and didn't want to know
The singer knew there were things they didn't want to know, but you told them anyways.
That you told me just to tell me later that you'd told me so
The singer was told something just so you could prove them wrong later.
Come flooding back to me now Come on Come flooding back to me now
All the things the singer didn't want to know are coming back to them.
All the things you said you'd never say and you said anyway
You said things that you promised not to say.
The things we did and didn't do The things we did and didn't do
The artist reflects on the actions they took and didn't take.
Come flooding back to me now
The singer is realizing the consequences of past actions.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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