Reno Dakota - The Magnetic Fields (1999)
From Stephin Merritt’s insanely ambitious concept album/musical revue 69 Love Songs. A three disc set chock full of heart-wrenching, hilarious and always amazing numbers.
Here’s what Merritt has to say about this song:
Reno Dakota is an underground filmmaker of my acquaintance with a great name … this song is basically about the joy of rhyming things with Reno Dakota. Nino Rota.
Also… this songs is most like the first to reference Pantone® Color Standards. Merritt spent a long time apparently finding just the correct shade of blue that ended in the number two, to fit in with his rhyming scheme.
Reno Dakota is probably the song on the whole 69 Love Songs that I spent the most time on, actually.
We appreciate it, Stephin. Appreciation should also be paid to Claudia Gonson, who provides the vocal.
Best line: “Reno Dakota, I’m no Nino Rota, I don’t know the score.”
