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.
S Is for Evrysing
The Books Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So we can see a, uh
Where'd he go?
What?
Yeah
They're still on vacation.
Hi
Hahaha
Look, it's a bicycle
I got
Heheheh
I got a calendar
Whoa! Man!
Ricky!
What?
Ready? It's you.
Whoaaa...
Ha ha
No!
AAAAA
Now that was really great.
Yeah
Heh heh
Not yet
It's like a
There's something a little di
Hahahaha. That just cracks me
Oh, that is so cool! Aw! Oh, Mom, come here.
That would make me
Gennaio,
Febbraio,
Marzo,
Aprile,
Maggio,
Giugno,
Giulio,
Agosto,
Settembre,
Ottobre,
Novembre,
Dicembre.
What I form
She took it all away from
What I form
Oure fadir that art in hevenes,
Halwid be thi name;
Thi kyngdom cumme-to;
Be thi wille don as in heven and in erthe;
Gyve to us this day oure breed ouer other substaunce;
And forgeve to us oure dettis,
As we forgeve to oure dettours;
And leede us nat in to temptacioun,
But delyuere us fro yuel.
Amen.
The lyrics to The Books's song "S Is for Evrysing" are a combination of spoken words, sound effects, and snippets of different songs or recordings. The song starts with what sounds like a group of friends or family members chatting and having fun together, with someone remarking about a missing person who's still on vacation. The next few lines are mostly random observations, including someone noticing a bicycle, a calendar, and a man named Ricky. Suddenly, there's a loud noise and someone expresses their excitement, but it's unclear what's happening.
After this initial flurry of activity, the song shifts to a more musical section that features a mysterious repeated phrase: "What I form, she took it all away from, what I form". It's unclear what this refers to, but the phrase is sung in a haunting, almost mournful tone. The last section of the song features a recitation of the Lord's Prayer in English, highlighting the religious and spiritual themes that run throughout the song.
Overall, "S Is for Evrysing" is a collage-like composition that juxtaposes snippets of different sounds and ideas to create a dreamlike, impressionistic effect. The song's structure mirrors the way memory and perception work, with random thoughts and experiences jumbled up together to create a unique impression of a moment or experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Wow
Expression of amazement or surprise
So we can see a, uh
Commenting on the situation at hand
Where'd he go?
Asking about someone's location
What?
Expressing confusion or disbelief
Yeah
Casual agreement or acknowledgement
They're still on vacation.
Commenting on someone's absence
Hi
Greeting someone
Hahaha
Laughter or amusement
Hi
Greeting someone
Look, it's a bicycle
Noticing an object in the environment
I got
Implying possession of something
Heheheh
Laughter or amusement
I got a calendar
Stating possession of an object
Whoa! Man!
Expressing excitement or surprise
Ricky!
Calling to someone
What?
Asking for clarification
Ready? It's you.
Offering an opportunity or challenge to someone
Whoaaa...
Expressing amazement or surprise
Ha ha
Laughter or amusement
No!
Refusal or denial
AAAAA
Expression of fear, surprise or excitement
Now that was really great.
Expressing enjoyment or satisfaction
Yeah
Casual agreement or acknowledgement
Heh heh
Laughter or amusement
Not yet
Implying something will happen, but not immediately
It's like a
Comparing something to another object or idea
There's something a little di
Cut off sentence, not complete
Hahahaha. That just cracks me
Laughter or amusement
Oh, that is so cool! Aw! Oh, Mom, come here.
Expressing excitement or pleasure about something
That would make me
Cut off sentence, not complete
Gennaio,
January, in Italian
Febbraio,
February, in Italian
Marzo,
March, in Italian
Aprile,
April, in Italian
Maggio,
May, in Italian
Giugno,
June, in Italian
Giulio,
July, in Italian
Agosto,
August, in Italian
Settembre,
September, in Italian
Ottobre,
October, in Italian
Novembre,
November, in Italian
Dicembre.
December, in Italian
What I form
Cut off part of a sentence, not complete
She took it all away from
Implication that someone lost something
What I form
Cut off part of a sentence, not complete
Oure fadir that art in hevenes,
First line of the Lord's Prayer in Middle English
Halwid be thi name;
Second line of the Lord's Prayer in Middle English
Thi kyngdom cumme-to;
Third line of the Lord's Prayer in Middle English
Be thi wille don as in heven and in erthe;
Fourth line of the Lord's Prayer in Middle English
Gyve to us this day oure breed ouer other substaunce;
Fifth line of the Lord's Prayer in Middle English
And forgeve to us oure dettis,
Sixth line of the Lord's Prayer in Middle English
As we forgeve to oure dettours;
Seventh line of the Lord's Prayer in Middle English
And leede us nat in to temptacioun,
Eighth line of the Lord's Prayer in Middle English
But delyuere us fro yuel.
Ninth line of the Lord's Prayer in Middle English
Amen.
Concluding word to a prayer
Contributed by Alice Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@hsaintclair
maybe the best books song. try to listen with all your attention. maybe you should close your eyes.
@tobyharper7577
St.Claire and then close your eues
@-KingRat
With your eyes closed, close your eyes
@notation254
This is so good
@joeh6915
Sounds like life
@kakabukkake0
favorite books song...hopefully not forever
@mixify1
And strangely brilliant.
@zensunraw
ya that was really great
@CnockCnock
Fantastic
@footprint92
yes! ''lucid dream-state'' ...my thoughts exactly! :D good stuff