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 Village in the Morning
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Inside it's warm and dry
You'll never find a cab uptown
So why not stay the night?
Why don't you call in sick tomorrow
Let's sleep the day away
I've got pyjamas you can borrow
Let's take a holiday
When the radio writes poetry for Avenue Pi
You get tangled in the wheels of old queen river
And you can't find the breath to whisper
Goodbye
Whisper goodbye
Why don't you stay until the weekend
It should clear up by then
As your resolve begins to weaken
We'll become such good friends
And you could stay until the summer
And we can sleep through spring
And I can telephone my dummer
And have her get your things
(C)
Why don't you stay until we're old
And fall in love with life
Why don't you stay untl we're ghosts
We'll only seem to die
(C)
The Magnetic Fields's song "The Village in the Morning" is a melancholic ode to the feeling of not wanting to let someone go. The song's setting is in a cozy apartment during a rainy night in the city, but the lyrics suggest staying longer and "taking a holiday" rather than braving the wet streets. The first stanza sets up the contrast between the cold, wet outside and the warm, dry inside, making us want to stay in with our partner. The second stanza builds on this, suggesting that the singer call in sick to work and sleep the day away. Then comes the chorus, which paints a picture of the city as an overwhelming place with rivers, traffic, and poetry on the radio that tangles people up and makes it hard to say goodbye. The chorus suggests that these obstacles make it impossible to leave the village in the morning.
The third stanza continues to build on the idea of staying longer, with the singer suggesting they stay until the weekend, then the summer, then until they're old and fall in love with life, and finally until they're ghosts, who don't seem to die. The repetition of "Why don't you stay" reinforces the sense of longing for the other person's company, and the repetition of the chorus suggests that leaving is always going to be difficult. The song's melancholic tone creates a sense of unease, as if the singer knows deep down that their desire to keep the other person close is futile, but they can't help but hope.
Overall, "The Village in the Morning" is a beautifully written song that captures the feeling of wanting to hold on to someone even when it's time to let go. The contrast between the cozy apartment and the overwhelming city creates a sense of tension and unease, and the repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that leaving is never easy.
Line by Line Meaning
Outside the rain is coming down
It's raining outside
Inside it's warm and dry
It's comfortable and cozy inside
You'll never find a cab uptown
It's difficult to find a taxi in this area
So why not stay the night?
It's better to spend the night here than trying to go out in the rain
Why don't you call in sick tomorrow
Take a day off from work tomorrow
Let's sleep the day away
We can spend the day sleeping
I've got pyjamas you can borrow
I have pajamas you can use
Let's take a holiday
Let's have a vacation
You can't leave the village in the morning
It's not easy to leave this place
When the radio writes poetry for Avenue Pi
There's something poetic and mysterious about this place
You get tangled in the wheels of old queen river
You'll get caught up in the beauty and charm of this place
And you can't find the breath to whisper Goodbye
You'll be so immersed in this place that you won't want to leave
Whisper goodbye
Saying goodbye will be difficult
Why don't you stay until the weekend
Stay here until the weekend is over
It should clear up by then
The weather will be better by then
As your resolve begins to weaken
As you start to consider staying longer
We'll become such good friends
We'll get really close
And you could stay until the summer
Stay here until summertime
And we can sleep through spring
Spend the spring here sleeping and relaxing
And I can telephone my dummer
I'll call my friend to help you pack your things
And have her get your things
My friend can help you gather your belongings
Why don't you stay until we're old
Stay here until we're both old
And fall in love with life
We can both learn to appreciate life here
We'll only seem to die
We'll feel like this place is timeless
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind