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/
Tokyo a Go-Go
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a gun in my pocket and no identity
I fell in love with you but we're not free.
Tokyo A go-go, Tokyo A go-go
The dancing spies with evil eyes that walk the night
Tokyo A go-go, Tokyo A go-go
In colored scenes the dancing queens with laser beams.
You were just another boy only seventeen
Just a love machine
Now we've got to run away
We're turning green.
The Magnetics's song "Go" seems to be about someone who fell in love with another person while working for a company as a spy. The lyrics mention that the singer was only doing their job, but they fell in love with someone who they can't be with due to their circumstances. The first two lines of the song indicate that this person was armed and had no identity, making them an effective spy who presumably had been covertly sent to Tokyo for a mission. However, their feelings got in the way of their duties, and they fell in love.
The lyrics "Tokyo A go-go" could be referring to the nightlife of Tokyo, with dancing spies and queens with laser beams, which creates an atmosphere of peril and excitement. The singer had fallen for a seventeen-year-old boy whom they characterize as a love machine, and they feel they have no choice but to run away as indicated by the line "Now we've got to run away, turning green." They feel trapped but hope to make a clean break by going their separate ways.
Line by Line Meaning
I was only doing my job for the Company
I was working for the Company and didn't have control over what I was doing.
With a gun in my pocket and no identity
I was carrying a weapon and didn't have any personal identification.
I fell in love with you but we're not free.
Although we fell in love, we aren't in a position to pursue our relationship.
Tokyo A go-go, Tokyo A go-go
We're in Tokyo, Japan, enjoying the city's nightlife.
The dancing spies with evil eyes that walk the night
There are spies with sinister intentions around us who roam the night.
Tokyo A go-go, Tokyo A go-go
We're still having a good time in Tokyo.
In colored scenes the dancing queens with laser beams.
The dancing queens in the club emit colorful laser beams that add to the atmosphere.
You were just another boy only seventeen
You were just a teenager when we met.
Well designed for giving pleasure
You were physically attractive and adept at pleasing me.
Just a love machine
You're very skilled at giving and receiving love and affection.
Now we've got to run away
We have to escape from our current situation.
We're turning green.
We're becoming envious or ill due to our predicament.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind