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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Wi
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My ainly pang'll be regret. A maiden I will dee
But ill turn into a nightengale and song will warm my heart
Well ill turn nto a threshing machine and tear that bird apart
Wi' nae wee bairn ye'll me beget Untwinkle, little ee
My ainly pang'll be regret. A maiden I will dee
But ill turn into a vampire in case you own a neck
Well ill turn into a silver cross and send me back to heck
Wi' nae wee bairn ye'll me beget Untwinkle, little ee
My ainly pang'll be regret. A maiden I will dee
But ill turn into a hydrogen bomb and atomize the air
Well ill turn into a cockroack and youll see if I care
Wi' nae wee bairn ye'll me beget Untwinkle, little ee
My ainly pang'll be regret. A maiden I will dee
But ill turn into a super nova and burn up everything
Well ill turn into a black little hole and youll turn into string
Wi' nae wee bairn ye'll me beget Untwinkle, little ee
My ainly pang'll be regret. A maiden I will dee
But ill turn into GOD himself and you will come to me
Then I will not believe in you and then where will you be?
Wi' nae wee bairn ye'll me beget Untwinkle, little ee
My ainly pang'll be regret. A maiden I will dee
Wi' nae wee bairn ye'll me beget Untwinkle, little ee
My ainly pang'll be regret. A maiden I will dee
The Magnetic Fields' "Wi' Nae Wee Bairn Ye'll Me Beget" is a playful and whimsical song that explores the idea of a woman's fear of having a child. The title is an old Scottish phrase that translates to "without a little child, you will not beget me", and the lyrics of the song play off of this idea. The song is a conversation between two lovers, one of whom is afraid of the responsibility of having a child, and the other who is trying to reassure her that even if she doesn't have one, he will love and appreciate her just the same.
The lyrics are full of fantastical imagery and metaphors, with the singer imagining herself turning into various things, including a nightingale, a threshing machine, a vampire, a silver cross, a hydrogen bomb, a cockroach, a supernova, and even God himself. Each time she imagines transforming into something different, she is essentially saying that she would rather become anything other than a mother, even if it means obliteration.
At the heart of the song, though, is the idea that the bond between the two lovers is strong enough to withstand any obstacle, including the decision not to have children. The playful nature of the lyrics adds a sense of levity to the song, but there is a deep sense of understanding and respect between the two partners that shines through.
Line by Line Meaning
Wi' nae wee bairn ye'll me beget Untwinkle, little ee
If we don't have a child, my eyes won't shine and I will regret it. I will die single.
My ainly pang'll be regret. A maiden I will dee
My only sorrow will be that I couldn't have a child. I will die unmarried.
But ill turn into a nightengale and song will warm my heart
I will turn into a beautiful bird and sing songs to make myself happy.
Well ill turn nto a threshing machine and tear that bird apart
But if you do have a child, I will turn into a machine that destroys things, and I will destroy that bird.
But ill turn into a vampire in case you own a neck
If you are a human and have a neck, I will turn into a vampire.
Well ill turn into a silver cross and send me back to heck
But if you are a vampire, I will turn into a silver cross and defeat you.
But ill turn into a hydrogen bomb and atomize the air
I will turn into a weapon of mass destruction and destroy everything around me.
Well ill turn into a cockroack and youll see if I care
But if you try to kill me, I will turn into a cockroach and show you that I don't care.
But ill turn into a super nova and burn up everything
I will turn into a massive explosion in space and burn up everything around me.
Well ill turn into a black little hole and youll turn into string
But if you try to escape, I'll become a black hole that will suck you in and turn you into a string.
But ill turn into GOD himself and you will come to me
I will turn into a god and you will worship me.
Then I will not believe in you and then where will you be?
But even if you worship me, I won't believe in you. Where will you be then?
Wi' nae wee bairn ye'll me beget Untwinkle, little ee
If we don't have a child, my eyes won't shine and I will regret it. I will die single.
My ainly pang'll be regret. A maiden I will dee
My only sorrow will be that I couldn't have a child. I will die unmarried.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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