The Magnetic Fields cover over the weekend sent me tumbling across the meadow and head first into a rabbit hole of other beautiful songs written by Stephin Merritt.

Future Bible Heroes – one of the perfect band names – was an electro pop side project of his, of varying quality but leaving us, at least, with this bona fide banger.

I remember hearing it for the first time, send in the early noughties without context by my then girlfriend Rupa.

The lyrics make me suspect, sometimes, that Merritt is closer to being the American Nigel Blackwell than the American Neil Hannon, as we suspected at the time. Certainly the rhyming here is up there with For What Is Chatteris’ pheasants / tenants / quintessence triumph.

The cover is the usual first-take vocal performance, but I’m hoping to collaborate with another singer on this to make something a little more rounded and professional sounding. Watch this space.