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.
Vogt Dig for Kloppervok
The Books Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogroves
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Your majesty?
Kommen sie in.
Keeping your eyes gently closed,
()
it will rain, it will rain.
Kallallit Nunnata Radioa. Grønlands radio;
vi ønsker jer godnat. Tamassi sinilluaritsi.
and after having what she described as her
most thrilling experience,
she climbed down from the tree next day a
queen.
and as in uffish thought he stood,
long time the manxome foe he sought,
he left it dead and with its head,
he stood a while in thought.
and as in uffish thought he stood,
long time the manxome foe he sought,
he left it dead and with its head,
he stood a while in thought.
The lyrics to The Books's song Vogt Dig for Kloppervok are a mixture of Lewis Carroll's nonsense poem Jabberwocky and field recordings, creating a surreal and dreamlike atmosphere. The first stanza references a section of Jabberwocky, with "brilling" possibly meaning brilliancy or shining, and "slithy toves" being a made-up creature that is both slimy and lithe. The second stanza features an unknown voice giving instructions in German, creating a sense of disorientation and confusion. The third stanza includes another recording, this time from Greenlandic radio wishing listeners goodnight in their native language.
The fourth stanza is where the song takes a turn, with a woman describing her most thrilling experience, followed by the line "she climbed down from the tree next day a queen." This could be interpreted as a metaphor for empowerment or self-discovery. The fifth stanza once again references Jabberwocky and describes a man standing in thought after defeating a monster.
Overall, the song has a dreamlike quality that is both eerie and beautiful. The combination of field recordings and snippets of poetry creates a sense of collage or patchwork, with each element contributing to the overall mood and meaning of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
'Twas brilling, and the slithy toves
It was brilliant and the creatures were writhing
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
They twisted and turned in the grass
All mimsy were the borogroves
The tree groves were full of sadness
And the mome raths outgrabe.
And the shadows of creatures moved restlessly
Your majesty?
May I speak to you?
Kommen sie in.
Please come in.
Keeping your eyes gently closed,
Softly shutting your eyes
close your eyes tightly.
Shut them firmly.
()
it will rain, it will rain.
Rain is coming.
Kallallit Nunnata Radioa. Grønlands radio;
This is Kallallit Nunnata Radioa. Greenland's radio;
vi ønsker jer godnat. Tamassi sinilluaritsi.
We wish you a good night. Thank you for listening.
and after having what she described as her
And after experiencing what she called her
most thrilling experience,
Most exciting adventure,
she climbed down from the tree next day a
She came down from the tree the following day as a
queen.
Queen.
and as in uffish thought he stood,
Lost in deep thought,
long time the manxome foe he sought,
He searched for the monstrous enemy for a long time,
he left it dead and with its head,
He killed it and with its head,
he stood a while in thought.
He paused in contemplation.
and as in uffish thought he stood,
Lost in deep thought,
long time the manxome foe he sought,
He searched for the monstrous enemy for a long time,
he left it dead and with its head,
He killed it and with its head,
he stood a while in thought.
He paused in contemplation.
Contributed by Adeline N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.