… Read Full Bio ↴Will Wiesenfeld AKA Baths was born in 1989, in Los Angeles, California.
Wiesenfield is a classically trained musician, and began learning the piano at the age of four “to compete with his brother”. By twelve he had “completely abandoned it,” but continual musical experimenting lead him to record his first piece of music at age fourteen. Under a previous moniker, [Post-foetus], he wrote four albums and three EPs. He also ventured into a more ambient style with side-project Geotic, a project which Irish magazine State.ie called “gorgeous”.
After adopting the name Baths, he released debut album Cerulean on independent record label Anticon. He recorded the entire album in two months from his bedroom. The BBC’s Mike Diver claims Baths’ nearest musical sound-a-like is chillwave musician Toro Y Moi. Pitchfork noted Baths’ influences, acts such as Björk and Flying Lotus, were “obvious” in his work.
Drowned in Sound noted Baths’ use of “unorthodox” sounds layered in and around the electronics, in particular “clicking pens, vocal samples, rustling blankets and scissor snaps”. British newspaper The Guardian’s Paul Lester commented he was reminded of “J Dilla playing around with the Pavement and Prince catalogues” while listening to the album. While a lot of his music is instrumental, it can occasionally incorporate vocals, most of them falsetto.
Cerulean was listed by the AV Club as the 21st best album of 2010. It made Pitchfork’s Album of the Year: Honorable Mention list.
The Nothing
Baths Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No fucking worldview
and stay in for weeks,
it seems like
This listlessness imbues
my body with dead hues
And I need to get out
Oh, things can get so good
and I know that they could
I need to get out
and find the love of my life
All of the nothing that I do
What one could I go through
Sick of kissing my hands
all hours of the night
Oh, things can get so good
and I know that they could
I need to get out
and find the love of my life
[x5]
In "The Nothing" by Baths, the singer laments their sense of aimlessness and lack of purpose, expressing frustration with their mundane routine and the emptiness they feel despite it. The line "all of the nothing that I do," emphasizes the singer's frustration with their own lack of productivity or creativity, with "no fucking worldview" adding a further sense of disillusionment. Their isolation is further highlighted with the mention of "stay in for weeks," indicating a sense of loneliness and lack of social interaction.
The singer's feelings of emptiness are also reflected in their physical state, with "dead hues" used to describe their body. The repeated line "I need to get out and find the love of my life" serves as a refrain throughout the song, highlighting the singer's desire for something meaningful to break them out of their current state. The song ends with the singer expressing hope that "things can get so good," but there's also an acknowledgment that they need to take action in order to make that happen.
Overall, "The Nothing" is a powerful meditation on feelings of loneliness, emptiness, and the desire to break free from a sense of stagnation. It captures a sense of frustration with the repetition and monotony of everyday life, and the longing for something more.
Line by Line Meaning
All of the nothing that I do
I am stuck in a state of listlessness with no purpose or direction in my life.
No fucking worldview
I have no meaningful view of the world nor a sense of my place in it.
and stay in for weeks, it seems like
I'm spending an extended amount of time being unproductive and not leaving my house.
This listlessness imbues
This sense of emptiness and lack of purpose permeates.
my body with dead hues
My body feels lifeless and dull, lacking vitality and energy.
And I need to get out
I recognize that I need to make a change, to break out of my rut.
and find the love of my life
I am hoping to find someone to give my life meaning and purpose.
Oh, things can get so good
I believe that it's possible to improve my life and find happiness.
and I know that they could
I am aware that there are opportunities for growth and change.
What one could I go through
I am considering different possibilities and options.
Sick of kissing my hands
I am tired of being alone, of having no one to share physical affection with.
all hours of the night
This loneliness and lack of intimacy affects me throughout the day and night.
Writer(s): WIESENFELD WILLIAM BORIS
Contributed by Ella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.