Zammuto and de Jong met through a friend in New York City. Sharing similar interests but different backgrounds in acoustic music and found sound, Zammuto and de Jong took their sonic experiments to the studio. Eventually, with some urging by Tom Steinle of Tomlab Records, they created what would become their debut record, 'Thought for Food', in 2002. Within a year, the Books relocated to Hot Springs, NC, and recorded and released 'The Lemon of Pink'. With a lot of favorable word of mouth and critical buzz from the first two records, the Books relocated again in winter of 2004 and recorded in an old Victorian home in North Adams, MA. With the release of 'Lost and Safe' in April of 2005, the Books prepared to tour with their unique blend of samples and acoustic music. All three Books albums were released on Tomlab Records.
One of the most unique aspects of the band was the video compositions which play during their live performances. Video was synched with the music and provide visuals to coincide with the many found-sounds the band employs. According to the band, much of the video was pulled from home movies and ephemeral films bought from thrift stores. For example, on the track entitled 'A Cold Freezin' Night', the many audio samples were pulled from Tiger Electronics Talkboy tapes also acquired from thrift stores.
In the late 2000s, The Books announced the addition of a third member of the band, who plays violin, guitar, and electronics. In August 2010, their final album entitled 'The Way Out' was released on Temporary Residence. 2012 saw a compilation release 'A Dot in Time.'
In early 2012, Nick Zammuto announced the end of the duo and the beginning of his solo project Zammuto. Subsequently, Paul de Jong released two solo albums.
Be Good to Them Always
The Books Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You s-you see it for yourself.
There it is. It's a man.
There it is, with uhhh...
Be good to them always.
You know, I simply
Oh, how sadly we mortals are deceived
by our own imagination.
This is not real life; this is, for us,
aleatoric television,
a mixed consort of soft instruments.
I can hear a collective rumbling in America.
I've lost my house, you've lost your house.
I don't suppose it matters which way we go.
This great society is going smash.
Oh, he's in the middle of putting things
together and organizing himself.
You do not need to stand on one foot.
The modern town hardly knows
silence.
You are something that the whole world
is doing.
You know, I simply cannot understand
people.
Oh, how sadly we mortals are decieved
by our own imagination.
This is not real life; this is, for us,
aleatoric television,
a mixed consort of soft instruments.
A culture is no better than its woods:
a felling of being connected with the past.
Look at it this way: you may fall
and break your leg,
and so, one leg is shorter than the other.
Can nothing more be done?
The Books' song "Be Good to Them Always" is a contemplative, abstract piece that explores themes of human nature, societal disillusionment, and the chaotic nature of life. The lyrics are a series of fragmented thoughts and observations, delivered in a spoken-word style against a backdrop of ethereal music.
The opening lines, "That's the picture. You s-you see it for yourself. There it is. It's a man. There it is, with uhhh... Be good to them always," set the tone for the rest of the song. It's as if the singer is peeling back the layers of reality, challenging the listener to take a closer look at what they see before them. The repeated refrain of "be good to them always" is a plea for empathy and understanding towards our fellow humans, no matter how confusing or complicated they may seem.
The following lines dive deeper into the singer's musings on the state of humanity. They express a sense of bewilderment and frustration with people's inability to see beyond their own limited perspectives. The metaphor of "aleatoric television, a mixed consort of soft instruments" suggests that life is a random, disjointed jumble of experiences that we try to make sense of through our own individual filters.
The song takes a more somber turn with the lines "I've lost my house, you've lost your house. I don't suppose it matters which way we go. This great society is going smash." Here, the singer speaks to the collective disillusionment and despair felt by many during times of economic hardship and societal upheaval. They suggest that individual losses pale in comparison to the larger societal breakdown happening around us.
The final lines offer a glimmer of hope, however tentative. They urge us to reconnect with our roots and find solace in nature, suggesting that a deeper connection with the natural world can help us find our way back to a place of balance and meaning.
Overall, "Be Good to Them Always" is a cryptic, impressionistic meditation on the human condition. The lyrics offer no easy answers or clear-cut solutions, instead challenging us to dive deeper into the complexity of our own experiences and connect with the world around us in new ways.
Line by Line Meaning
That's the picture.
This is the reality of the situation.
You s-you see it for yourself.
You can confirm this for yourself.
There it is. It's a man.
This is a person we're talking about.
There it is, with uhhh...
This is the full picture, with all its complexities.
Be good to them always.
Treat others with kindness and compassion.
You know, I simply cannot understand people.
The singer has difficulty relating to others.
Oh, how sadly we mortals are deceived by our own imagination.
Humans have a tendency to misunderstand reality.
This is not real life; this is, for us, aleatoric television, a mixed consort of soft instruments.
Our experiences can feel random and disconnected, like a jumbled orchestra.
I can hear a collective rumbling in America.
The artist senses unrest and discontent in their country.
I've lost my house, you've lost your house.
The current situation has caused financial hardship for many.
I don't suppose it matters which way we go.
The future is uncertain and directionless.
This great society is going smash.
The artist believes their society is crumbling.
Oh, he's in the middle of putting things together and organizing himself.
The person referred to is trying to get their life in order.
You do not need to stand on one foot.
Take a moment to relax and find balance.
The modern town hardly knows silence.
Urban environments are often noisy and chaotic.
You are something that the whole world is doing.
As a human being, your existence is part of a larger collective experience.
A culture is no better than its woods: a felling of being connected with the past.
A society's heritage and traditions are integral to its identity.
Look at it this way: you may fall and break your leg, and so, one leg is shorter than the other.
Sometimes unfortunate events can have lasting consequences.
Can nothing more be done?
Is there no solution to this problem?
Contributed by Katherine L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.