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/
When You're Old and Lonely
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You will wish you'd married me
I could build a fire for you
And bring you cakes and tea
When you're cold and hungry
I'll be waiting by the phone
You can call me up and
Tell me how you're all alone...
When you're old and lonely
And the rush of life is past
Days go by too slowly and
The years go by too fast
When your golden loneliness is
Heavier than stone
You can call me up and say
"My God, I'm all alone...
All alone..."
The Magnetic Fields's song "When You're Old and Lonely" depicts a person's plea to a former lover, who rejected them, to reconsider their previous decision. The singer of the song is confident that when the former lover is old and lonely with no one to turn to, they will come back and regret their choice of not marrying the singer. The singer even shares their plans of how they will take care of their lover in their old age, by building a fire, bringing them cakes and tea, and being available for conversation when they're lonely.
The song focuses on the cyclical nature of life and the inevitability of getting old and lonely. The singer is trying to convince the former lover that they will regret not being with them in their old age, as the rush of life is past and days go by too slow. The singer is almost mocking the former lover by saying, "my God, I'm all alone", as this is something the singer has told their former lover before, to no avail.
The song reminds us that love is not always rational, and sometimes people choose their own paths despite the love they once shared. Additionally, it portrays the irony of love and life, where we don't always know what we want until it's gone.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're old and lonely
In the future, when you have grown old and find yourself without anybody for companionship
You will wish you'd married me
You will regret not having entered into a marriage with me in the past
I could build a fire for you
I would be capable of starting a fire to warm you up
And bring you cakes and tea
I could provide you with baked goods and tea to enjoy
When you're cold and hungry
At times when you feel cold and are hungry
I'll be waiting by the phone
I will always be available and waiting for you to call
You can call me up and
You have the option of calling me and
Tell me how you're all alone...
Inform me about your loneliness and how you have nobody around you
All alone...
Without anyone nearby to speak with or connect with
When you're old and lonely
When you have reached an elderly age and there is nobody there with you
And the rush of life is past
When the busyness and excitement of life have settled down and are no longer present
Days go by too slowly and
Days move at a slow pace while
The years go by too fast
The passage of time through the years appears to be fast and fleeting
When your golden loneliness is
When your aged, yet cherished, loneliness becomes
Heavier than stone
Depressing and difficult to bear with, like carrying a heavy burden
You can call me up and say
You can make contact with me and express
"My God, I'm all alone...
"My goodness, there is nobody around and I am left with my own company"
All alone..."
This feeling of solitude can be too much to endure, prompts emphasizing being alone
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Leah Cagley
When you're old and lonely
You will wish you'd married me
I could build a fire for you
And bring you cakes and tea
When you're cold and hungry
I'll be waiting by the phone
You can call me up and tell me
How you're all alone, all alone
When you're old and lonely
And the rush of life is past
Days go by too slowly and
The years go by too fast
When your golden loneliness
Is heavier than stone
You can call me up and say
"My God, I'm all alone, all alone."
Leah Cagley
When you're old and lonely
You will wish you'd married me
I could build a fire for you
And bring you cakes and tea
When you're cold and hungry
I'll be waiting by the phone
You can call me up and tell me
How you're all alone, all alone
When you're old and lonely
And the rush of life is past
Days go by too slowly and
The years go by too fast
When your golden loneliness
Is heavier than stone
You can call me up and say
"My God, I'm all alone, all alone."
Matthew Boyd
I've said this like a thousand times over the years, but Stephen Merritt understood and channelled hetero love and desire and ideation and fantasy better than any straight guy ever did. It's sick. He is a genius.
Nautical Nun
genius
SummerOfGeorge
I don’t wanna stay at your party, I don’t wanna talk with your friends.
Эдит Ноэми
Now I understand why I love this song, thanks
TR
SummerOfGeorge i don’t wanna vote for your president
Roland D'Oriano
this song was removed from spotify and i am fucking upset.
WOLVESFC
Back
Sapphira F-S
<3
Pavlos Tsampis
Moonlight feels right