"The working concept for the sound of ‘The… Read Full Bio ↴From Zammuto's Wordpress:
"The working concept for the sound of ‘The Way Out’ was pretty simple: Every track needs to sound like it comes from its own universe. That is, every track is it’s own rabbit-hole. As on ‘Lost and Safe’ the new record is a mixture of sample based and lyric based songs. Beautiful People is one of the four ‘sung songs’ on the new record (14 tracks, about 50 minutes in all). In this case, a three part christian harmony mixed with a sort of euro-disco-trash beat, an orchestra’s worth of sampled brass and lyrics about the twelfth root of two (my favorite irrational number) trigonometry and tangrams which will make up the video portion of the song for the live show.
The super nerdy lyrics are:
Behold the finite set of thirteen convex figure
the irrational sine versus tangent forty-five.
And we genuflect before pure abstraction
1.05946…, twelfth root of two, amen.
to begin again…
To whom we venerate seven pieces,
endlessly manifold, self-contained, replete.
With all respect, we beseech the book of figures
Make us your analog, to begin again.
A bit of explanation: The twelfth root of two defines the mathematical relationship between musical notes. That is, to get the next note in the (chromatic) scale, you multiply the frequency of the root note by the twelfth root of two (1.05946….). I started using this number a lot when cutting pvc pipes to the right lengths for the instruments i’ve been building (as in the Drake cover). Anyway, I think this number represents “God” about as well as anything the religions of the world have come up with, so why not write a hymn around it. (in a sense, all hymns are written around it).
The tune and harmonies came directly from a Danish hymn that Paul found, as sung by a chorus of Inuits from Greenland (if i’m not mistaken, Paul). The disco beat came from and exercise record from 70’s (the same source as one of our French elevator tracks), and it sets the tempo and key. The main loop is in sevens, another godly number. And I dare you to count the polyrythm through the ‘to begin again’ loop in the middle. I’m particularly happy with that one.
This track also became a great excuse to delve into Paul’s amazing collection of sampled brass and other orchestral sounds, like sackbuts, viols, crumhorns, foghorns, alpenhorns etc…. Over the years he’s amassed an extraordinary collection of samples of every instrument of the orchestra, from many dozens of sources, and have organized them in a very useful way. Perhaps he’ll tell you more about it…
So, the rising orchestra you hear at the end of song, I composed of dozens of layers of samples of single notes played on different instruments, taken from many many disparate sources. It was a brain-bending challenge in mixing but there’s no other way to do it. Viva la Sackbut!"
Beautiful People
The Books Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The irrational sine versus tangent 45
Behold the finite set of thirteen convex figures
The irrational sine versus tangent 45
And we genuflect before pure abstraction
1.05946, twelth root of two, amen
To begin again
To whom we venerate seven pieces,
endlessly manifold, self-contained revealed, replete
With all respect, we beseech the books of figures
Make us your analog, to begin again
The Books' "Beautiful People" begins with the enigmatic verse "behold the finite set of thirteen convex figures, the irrational sine versus tangent 45." This verse could be interpreted as a reference to geometric figures and mathematical concepts, but it could also be interpreted as a metaphor for the finite nature of humanity and the irrationality of human existence. The thirteen convex figures could represent the varied and complex personalities and experiences of people, while the sine and tangent could represent the opposing forces that govern human behavior.
The second verse continues with "and we genuflect before pure abstraction, 1.05946, the twelfth root of two, amen." Here, the singer seems to be elevating the concept of abstraction to a religious level, suggesting that the pursuit of abstraction is a form of worship. The specific numbers referenced could be a nod to musical theory or the structure of sound, as 1.05946 is the ratio between two frequencies in the equal-tempered scale, and the twelfth root of two is involved in tuning instruments.
The song concludes with a plea to be guided by the "books of figures" and to be made into an analog for them, so that the process of creation can begin again. Overall, "Beautiful People" is a cryptic and thought-provoking exploration of human nature and the role of abstraction in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Behold the finite set of thirteen convex figures
Let us acknowledge these thirteen geometrical shapes that we can see and touch, with their curves facing outwards.
The irrational sine versus tangent 45
The conflict between the inexplicable ratio of the side opposite an angle to the hypotenuse of a right triangle and the ratio of the side opposite angles of 45 degrees to the adjacent side; both concepts are difficult to understand.
And we genuflect before pure abstraction
We kneel down in reverence of the idea of pure abstraction, a type of thinking that exists outside of the physical world.
1.05946, twelth root of two, amen
We acknowledge the significance of the number 1.05946, which is the twelfth root of two, and we end our statement with 'amen' as a sign of closure and agreement.
To begin again
We desire to start over or reset, perhaps with a new perspective or understanding of the world.
To whom we venerate seven pieces,
We honor and give respect to the seven mathematical objects, most likely digits, that are fundamental to our numerical system.
endlessly manifold, self-contained revealed, replete
These objects are diverse and infinite in their possibilities, independent and complete in their existence, and abundant in their quantity.
With all respect, we beseech the books of figures
With utmost deference and admiration, we ask for guidance from the primary sources of mathematical knowledge.
Make us your analog, to begin again
We implore the books to teach us how to become like them, to view the world through their lens, and to start anew with this perspective.
Contributed by Zachary H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.