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.
Motherless Bastard
The Books Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Man: "You have no mother or father."
Child: "Yeah I do!"
Man: "No, they left; they went somewhere else."
Man: "I'm not; I don't know you."
Child: "Daddy... "
Man: "Don't touch me; don't call me that in public."
The lyrics of The Books' "Motherless Bastard" seem to tell a story of a child who is desperately seeking his/her parents' love and attention. The child seems confused and unclear about the absence of his/her biological parents and tries to seek comfort and solace from a man who claims to not know the child. This sense of abandonment and denial seems to echo the feelings of the child being lost and alone in the world.
The child's repeated calls for their parents seem to suggest a longing for a sense of belonging and attachment. The man's cold and detached response to the child emphasizes the shattering of this desire and emphasizes the child's sense of being left alone and unwanted.
The juxtaposition of the child's desperate cries and pleas for parental love with the man's cold rejection emphasizes the emotional theme of rejection and abandonment. It seems to highlight the heart-wrenching experience of being a "motherless bastard," devoid of the love and care that should come naturally from a maternal or paternal figure. The lyrics seem to suggest the pain and confusion that can come from being abandoned at a young age and the challenges that come from trying to find a sense of belonging and identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Child: "Mommy! Daddy...Mommy! Daddy!... Mom? Dad?"
The child is asking for his/her parents while calling out for them.
Man: "You have no mother or father."
The man is telling the child that he/she doesn't have a mother or father.
Child: "Yeah I do!"
The child is insisting that he/she does have a mother and father.
Man: "No, they left; they went somewhere else."
The man is explaining that the child's parents are not present because they left and went somewhere else.
Child: "No, you're right here! I do!"
The child is pointing out that the man is present and claiming him as a parent.
Man: "I'm not; I don't know you."
The man is denying that he is the child's parent and claiming not to know the child.
Child: "Daddy... "
The child is still trying to connect with the man and is addressing him as "Daddy".
Man: "Don't touch me; don't call me that in public."
The man is rejecting the child's attempt to connect with him and is warning the child not to touch him or call him "Daddy" in public.
Contributed by Lily K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.