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/
Xylophone Track
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
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
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