Xylophone Track
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

To my dear, dear mother
I leave my only shoes
To my dear, dear mother
I leave my only shoes
By the time you read this
I will have died of the blues
Scream little choo-choo
Bang your xylophone track
You can wail all night long
But you can't bring her back
I've done so much crying
The flesh has left my bones
I've done so much crying
The flesh has left my bones




I can play my ribcage
Like a xylophone

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Xylophone Track are a perfect reflection of the melancholic and ironic genius that is Stephin Merritt. In this ballad, the singer, who is about to die of the blues, leaves his only shoes to his dear mother in a last gesture of love and gratitude. But the tone is not sentimental, and soon we understand that death doesn't scare him, because he has already lost everything that mattered to him.


The chorus is where the song transcends into the surreal and the quirky: "Scream little choo-choo, bang your xylophone track, you can wail all night long, but you can't bring her back". The little choo-choo makes us think of a toy train, and the xylophone track adds a joyful note to the chorus, but the meaning is dark and pessimistic. This contrast between the upbeat melody and the downbeat lyrics is one of the Magnetic Fields' trademarks.


The last verse is a masterpiece of metaphor and wordplay: "I've done so much crying, the flesh has left my bones, I can play my ribcage like a xylophone". Here we see the singer's despair turned into a sort of perverse creativity, as he transforms his pain into art. The image of the xylophone made of bones is both disturbing and poetic, a perfect example of the Magnetic Fields' unique style.


* The song appears on the 1994 album "The Charm of the Highway Strip".
* It is one of the most popular tracks on the album and a classic of the Magnetic Fields' oeuvre.
* The song features Merritt's signature baritone voice, accompanied by an acoustic guitar and a xylophone.
* Merritt wrote the song as a tribute to his mother, who was a huge fan of xylophone music.
* The chorus was inspired by a toy train set that Merritt saw in a store window.
* The song has been covered by several artists, including the band Los Campesinos! and the singer John Darnielle.
* The Magnetic Fields often play the song in concert, and it's usually a fan favorite.
* The song's lyrics are a mixture of humor and sadness, a combination that defines much of Merritt's music.
* The line "I will have died of the blues" is a reference to the tradition of blues music, which often deals with themes of pain and suffering.
* The song uses repetition in a clever way, with the line "to my dear, dear mother" appearing twice, and the chorus repeated three times.


Chords (capo on the first fret):


Verse: G C G C D G (x2)
Chorus: G C G C D G (x2)
Bridge: Am F C G Am F C D G (x2)


Line by Line Meaning

To my dear, dear mother
Addressing his mother with affection


I leave my only shoes
Leaving his only possession for his mother as a last gift


By the time you read this
Implying that his death is imminent


I will have died of the blues
Metaphorically expressing his sadness that caused his death


Scream little choo-choo
Encouraging the xylophone to produce a loud sound


Bang your xylophone track
Urging the xylophone to play music


You can wail all night long
Acknowledging the musical talent of the xylophone


But you can't bring her back
Conveying the pain and impossibility of bringing someone back from the dead


I've done so much crying
Admitting to intense grief


The flesh has left my bones
Describing the physical toll of grief on his body


I can play my ribcage
Using his own body as an instrument to make music


Like a xylophone
Comparing the sound produced by his body to that of a xylophone




Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found