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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Very Funny
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you go where you shouldn't be
Everybody knows but me
Where you go when you're feeling free
Everybody knows but me
So you go there for a laugh
You just go to take photographs
But yes I think you go for a laugh
And you say: I love you honey
Very funny
The Magnetic Fields's song "Very Funny" is a poignant expression of the agony of being in a relationship that is not just unfaithful but one where everyone seems to know of the infidelity but the singer. The first stanza of the song highlights the singer's sense of isolation in the knowledge of their partner's actions. The phrase "Everybody knows but me" captures this isolation as the singer struggles with the gap between their illusory happiness in the relationship and the reality that stares back at them. The second stanza reveals a bit more of the partner's modus operandi, sneaking away to unethical places for leisure and snapping photographs. The final line, "I love you honey, very funny," drips with sarcasm, indicating the singer's eventual transition from isolation to resentment.
The song's melody and harmony are melancholic, somewhat conversational and unsophisticated. The conversational tone of the music establishes an intimacy between the singer and the audience, making it difficult to avoid feeling the pain with the singer. The song's chorus, "Very funny," while an expression of sarcasm, is also representative of the singer's coping mechanism, humor. Despite the singer's sarcasm throughout the song, it is clear that the situation is painful and not at all funny.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody knows but me
It seems like there's something going on that everyone else knows about, except for me.
When you go where you shouldn't be
You're going to a place that's off-limits, a place that you shouldn't be going to.
Where you go when you're feeling free
You're going to a place where you can let loose and be yourself without any restrictions.
So you go there for a laugh
It looks like you're going to this place in order to have a good time and enjoy yourself.
You just go to take photographs
One of the things you do when you're there is to take some pictures to remember the moment by.
To believe that I be daft
You probably think I'm foolish or gullible for not knowing what you're really up to.
But yes I think you go for a laugh
Despite what you might think or say, I really do believe that you're going to that place just to have a good time and laugh.
And you say: I love you honey
You try to sweet talk me, even though I'm starting to figure out what's really going on.
Very funny
Your attempts to cover up your actions with a show of affection are, quite frankly, ridiculous and amusing.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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