You can understand why The Magnetic Fields’ “The Book Of Love” would make sense to some as a song to which a couple might walk down the aisle. It features an absolutely lovely melody. And it talks about “wedding rings.”
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But the guy who wrote the song, Stephin Merritt, doesn’t necessarily agree that the song is wedding-appropriate. Nonetheless, “The Book Of Love” stands out as one of the most honest and insightful love songs of all time.
“Book” Smart
Because it was called 69 Love Songs, many people were quick to assume that the album released by The Magnetic Fields in 1999 was some kind of maximalist tribute to a significant other. In actuality, Merritt and his collaborators were more intent on exploring love songs as a genre.
He wrote in practically every genre you might imagine. And many of the songs clearly looked at the topic of love in a tongue-in-cheek, humorous fashion. Many people heard, in “Book Of Love”, one of the more earnest tracks on the record.
While Merritt might have been coming at that particular song in a somewhat less arch fashion than on some of the other tracks on the record, it didn’t mean that he saw it as an unabashed love song. He explained as much to Tidal when asked about the fact that people often used the song at weddings:
“I don’t understand why people think that ‘The Book of Love’ is a suitable wedding song. ‘The Book of Love’ is all about ambivalence and ambiguity of love, which doesn’t really feel like an appropriate sentiment for a wedding. But I’m happy that it’s become a wedding standard. I’m just puzzledthat it’s become a wedding standard.”
A Deep Dive into the Lyrics of “The Book Of Love”
Merritt is counting on the title of the song to remind people of the old doo-wop song of the same name by The Monotones. That song takes us chapter by chapter through the typical timeline of a romance. This new version of “The Book Of Love” undercuts common assumptions with a somewhat more jaded view of how things transpire.
Merritt starts the song off by pushing back against the idealization of love. “The book of love is long and boring,” he explains. “No one can lift the damn thing.” But even when he cuts through the clichés, he allows for some lightness to enter the picture, like when he says it contains “instructions for dancing.”
In the second verse, Merritt again hedges his bets. He admits that “music comes from” this book. But he also isn’t ready to celebrate this as a totally wonderful thing. “Some of it is just transcendental,” he admits. “Some of it is just really dumb.”
The final verse suggests that it’s impossible to uncover all the mysteries within this tome in our brief time on this planet. “It’s full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes,” Merritt explains. “And things we’re all too young to know.”
In each refrain, Merritt sets aside his objections to reach out to someone special. “The Book Of Love”, as he describes it, goes beyond the sentimental stuff into knotty territory. But those choruses suggest that diving into it is still very much worth your time.
Photo by Hiroyuki Ito/Getty Images
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