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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Two Kinds of People
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My love and I
Other
Two kinds of people
The gray
Me and my love
All people fall into two camps
those lost in darkness without lamps
And then
My love and me
The Magnetic Fields's song Two Kinds of People is a quirky yet thought-provoking piece of music when it comes to the subject of human categorization. The lyrics denote that there are two types of people in the world: the grey ones and then the singer's beloved. It says that everyone is divided into two categories - those who are lost in darkness without the light of a lamp and then there are two people, the singer and their love. The song offers deep insight into the idea that the duo is different from the rest of the world because they have light, which could be love or hope, separating them from the darkness.
The song talks about how people are categorized on various parameters from race to class to religion, but at the end of the day, every individual can be divided into either of the two categories - those who have light and those who don't. It signifies that there is a line of difference that divides not the people but their perspectives, their attitudes, their beliefs, their actions, and their emotions. The complex nature of people means that we can belong to more than one category, yet there are only two kinds of people that matter in love and relationships.
Overall, the song Two Kinds of People is a reminder that people should not be stereotyped or placed in predefined categories. Every individual is unique and should be celebrated as such, and rather than labeling people, we should focus on the positive aspects of their personalities and differences.
Line by Line Meaning
There are two kinds of people
People can be divided into two distinct groups
My love and I
Me and my significant other
Other
Everyone else
Two kinds of people
Only two categories exist
The gray
Those who are uncertain or don't fit into either category
Me and my love
The singer and their significant other
All people fall into two camps
There are two types of people
that ever twain shall be
This will always be the case
those lost in darkness without lamps
People who are unaware and unenlightened
And then
In addition to those groups
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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