Yeah! Oh Yeah!
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics


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Are you out of love with me?
Are you longing to be free?
Do I drive you up a tree?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!

Do I drive you up the wall?
Do you dread every phone call?
Can you not stand me at all?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!

Though I need you more than air
Is it true you just don't care?
Are you having an affair?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!

When we met I thought
Money was everything
So I let you buy the house,
The car, the ring

But I can't take your perpetual whining
And you can't sing
I though if we live apart
We could made a brand-new start

Do you want to break my heart?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!
I've enjoyed making you
Miserable for years

Found peace of mind in
Playing on your fears
How I loved to catch your gold
And silver tears, but now my dear

What a dark and dreary life
Are you reaching for a knife?
Could you really kill your wife?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!

Of, I die, I die, I die!
So it's over, you and I




Was my whole life just a lie?
Yeah! Oh, yeah!

Overall Meaning

The Magnetic Fields' song "Yeah! Oh Yeah!" is a witty, sarcastic, and at times deeply sad exploration of a failing relationship. The song is a conversation between two partners who have reached an impasse, as one partner questions whether the other is out of love with them, whether they want to break up, and whether they are having an affair. The other partner responds with a series of cutting and hurtful remarks, including accusations of perpetual whining, terrible singing, and emotional manipulation.


The song provides a complex and emotionally rich snapshot of a dysfunctional relationship, where pain and anger are expressed through bitter sarcasm and sardonic humor. The chorus, consisting of the repeated phrase "Yeah! Oh, yeah!" is particularly powerful, as it conveys both the devastating finality of a break-up and the hollow emptiness of a relationship that has lost all meaning. The song's ironic tone and bleak humor emphasize the painful realities of a love gone sour, and it presents an uncompromising vision of the difficulties of intimacy and human connection.


Line by Line Meaning

Are you out of love with me?
Do you no longer have feelings of love for me?


Are you longing to be free?
Do you want to leave and be independent?


Do I drive you up a tree?
Do I annoy or frustrate you greatly?


Yeah! Oh, yeah!
Expression of confirmation or agreement


Do I drive you up the wall?
Do I irritate or anger you?


Do you dread every phone call?
Do you fear or feel anxious about receiving a phone call from me?


Can you not stand me at all?
Do you dislike or hate me completely?


Though I need you more than air
Even though I desire or require you more than anything else


Is it true you just don't care?
Do you really have no feelings or concern for me?


Are you having an affair?
Are you involved in a romantic relationship with someone else?


When we met I thought
At the beginning of our relationship, I believed


Money was everything
The most important thing in life was wealth and material possessions


So I let you buy the house,
Therefore, I allowed you to purchase the home


The car, the ring
And also the automobile and the ring


But I can't take your perpetual whining
But I am unable to tolerate your constant complaining


And you can't sing
And you are unable to sing well


I though if we live apart
I believed that if we lived separately


We could made a brand-new start
We could begin a new life and start over


Do you want to break my heart?
Do you want to cause me emotional pain or suffering?


I've enjoyed making you
I have taken pleasure in causing you


Miserable for years
To feel extremely unhappy or uncomfortable for an extended period of time


Found peace of mind in
Gained a sense of contentment or tranquillity by


Playing on your fears
Exploiting or manipulating your anxieties


How I loved to catch your gold
I enjoyed capturing your


And silver tears, but now my dear
And also your tears of sadness or regret, but now, my beloved


What a dark and dreary life
What a gloomy and depressing existence


Are you reaching for a knife?
Are you considering using a knife as a weapon?


Could you really kill your wife?
Would you actually murder your spouse?


Of, I die, I die, I die!
An exclamation of intense emotion, indicating a desire to die


So it's over, you and I
Our relationship has come to an end


Was my whole life just a lie?
Did my entire existence amount to nothing but deception or falsehood?


Yeah! Oh, yeah!
Expression of confirmation or agreement




Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

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