In this post Julian Sanchez takes the time to dissect the lyrics to one of the best songs (maybe the best) on The Magnetic Fields' album i. My earlier comments on that album are here, though I was unduly harsh on first hearing it and have grown to like it a lot more over time - I Thought You Were My Boyfriend, Irma, I Don't Believe You and I Wish I Had an Evil Twin are my favorite tracks.
The point that Sanchez makes is that Merritt's lyrics can be interpreted at least 3 different ways. On this song I've always thought that it was one internal dialogue. But the complexity and ambiguity of the lyrics in this song and others are part of what continually draws me to Merritt's work (in The Magnetic Fields, The 6ths and Future Bible Heroes). His writing is remarkably clever, as well as being thoughtful, fun, and moving. He's one of the most creative song writers working today. And if you've never bothered to pick up The Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs you have no idea what you are missing. It's one of the best things in the last decade of recorded music.
Posted by armand at November 27, 2005 02:37 PM | TrackBack | Posted to Music