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/
Time Enough for Rocking When We're Old
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We can rock all day in rocking chairs of gold but tonight
I think I'd rather just go dancing
There'll be time enough for rocking when we're old, my love
There'll be time enough for talk in the nursing home
Darling, time enough to write an epic poem but tonight
There'll be time enough for talking in the home, my love
There'll be time enough for sleeping when we're dead
You will have a velvet pillow for your head but tonight
I think I'd rather just go dancing
There'll be time enough for sleeping when we're dead, my love
There'll be time for sex and drugs in Heaven
When our pheromones are turned up to 11
But tonight I think I'd rather just go dancing
There'll be time enough for sex and drugs in Heaven, my love
And time enough for rocking when we're old
The Magnetic Fields's song Time Enough for Rocking When We're Old conveys the message that we should seize the moment and enjoy life to the fullest while we still can. The lyrics suggest that there'll be a time for everything, but tonight is the night to dance. The lyrics seem to be addressed to a lover, urging them to embrace life and enjoy it to the fullest.
The opening lines "There'll be time enough for rocking when we're old" suggest that there's no need to rush life, and that there is a time for everything. The lyrics "We can rock all day in rocking chairs of gold" convey the idea of enjoying the simple things in life when you're old. In contrast, the singer emphasizes that tonight, they would rather go dancing and enjoy the moment.
The lyrics go on to suggest that there's time for other things in life, such as talking, writing, sleeping, sex, and drugs, but the message seems to be that there's never enough time to truly enjoy life. The overall theme of the song is to embrace the moment and enjoy life while you can, for there will always be time for sleeping, rocking, and talking in the future.
Line by Line Meaning
There'll be time enough for rocking when we're old
We shouldn't waste our youth on rocking when we have so many other things to do now
We can rock all day in rocking chairs of gold but tonight
Even though we could literally rock on golden chairs all day, let's do something more exciting right now
I think I'd rather just go dancing
I want to live in the moment and have fun while I'm young
There'll be time enough for talk in the nursing home
We can have long conversations and catch up when we're older and settled in a nursing home
Darling, time enough to write an epic poem but tonight
We have the rest of our lives to write a masterpiece. Tonight, let's live a little
There'll be time enough for talking in the home, my love
We'll have lots of time to talk and reminisce when we're old and retired
There'll be time enough for sleeping when we're dead
Let's not waste our precious time on earth sleeping
You will have a velvet pillow for your head but tonight
When we're old, we'll be comfortable and have everything we need. For now, let's enjoy the moment
There'll be time for sex and drugs in Heaven
When we're gone, there will be plenty of time to indulge in pleasures beyond what we're capable of experiencing now
When our pheromones are turned up to 11
In Heaven, our senses will be heightened to experience everything even more intensely
And time enough for rocking when we're old
We don't have to worry about missing out on rocking, we'll have plenty of time for it when we're old
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind