‘Peter Gabriel’s Cover of *The Book of Love* Bought Me a House’: The Magnetic Fields Reflect on the Legacy of *69 Love Songs
When *69 Love Songs* was first released in 1999, few could have predicted the massive influence it would have on both the indie music scene and the broader cultural landscape. The ambitious project from The Magnetic Fields, led by the brilliant and enigmatic songwriter Stephin Merritt, remains one of the most extraordinary and innovative albums in the history of indie pop. Now, over two decades later, the band reflects on the lasting impact of their magnum opus, sharing stories behind the songs, its enduring legacy, and the surprising ways it has shaped their lives—financially, creatively, and personally. For Merritt, in particular, Peter Gabriel’s cover of “The Book of Love” proved life-changing in ways he never anticipated, leading him to quip that it “bought me a house.”
**The Conception of *69 Love Songs*: A Monumental Challenge**
In the mid-1990s, Stephin Merritt was already known for his sharp wit and unique songwriting, but *69 Love Songs* would be his most audacious project yet. Conceived as a sprawling three-volume exploration of love in all its forms, the album was both a tribute to the great American songbook and a subversion of it. While the album takes inspiration from a wide range of musical traditions—from Tin Pan Alley to synth-pop to country—its heart lies in Merritt’s distinctive lyrical voice. His songs blend sardonic humor with sincere emotion, painting a multifaceted portrait of love that is at once celebratory, melancholic, and deeply ironic.
“I never really believed in doing anything halfway,” Merritt said in a recent interview, reflecting on the album’s inception. “I was tired of hearing the same love songs over and over again, and I wanted to show that there are as many different ways to write about love as there are experiences of love itself. The idea of doing 69 songs was partially a joke—because 69, you know—but it also represented the sheer scope of love as a topic. It’s too vast to be captured in just a few songs.”
The decision to record 69 songs, spread across three discs, was both a logistical and creative challenge. Merritt enlisted a rotating cast of collaborators from The Magnetic Fields and beyond, including longtime band members Claudia Gonson, Sam Davol, and John Woo. Each song was carefully crafted to explore a different dimension of love, whether through humor, heartbreak, longing, or joy.
“I think we all thought he was a little insane when he proposed the idea,” says Claudia Gonson, Merritt’s longtime collaborator and bandmate. “But once we started working on it, it became clear that this was something special. Stephin had a vision, and it was like watching him build this enormous, intricate puzzle. Every song had its place, and every piece was essential to the whole.”
**A Mosaic of Love: The Songs Behind the Album**
From the haunting simplicity of “The Book of Love” to the breezy satire of “I Don’t Want to Get Over You,” *69 Love Songs* is a mosaic of romantic experience, spanning genres and moods with breathtaking range. Some songs are deeply personal, while others adopt various characters and perspectives, offering a kaleidoscopic view of love in all its contradictions. Despite its size, the album never feels repetitive or bloated; each song has its own identity, and together they form a cohesive narrative about the complexities of love.
“The Book of Love,” one of the standout tracks, epitomizes Merritt’s ability to take a seemingly simple sentiment and imbue it with profound emotion. The sparse arrangement, centered around a gentle acoustic guitar, places Merritt’s baritone front and center, allowing the lyrics to take on a meditative quality. It’s a song about love’s ineffable nature, about how the things we say or do to express love often fall short of capturing its true meaning.
“The book of love is long and boring / No one can lift the damn thing,” Merritt sings, capturing the paradox of love: how it can be both mundane and magical, frustrating and transcendent. “The Book of Love” has since become one of The Magnetic Fields’ most enduring songs, beloved by fans and frequently covered by other artists.
**Peter Gabriel’s Cover of “The Book of Love”: A Surprising Success**
Perhaps the most surprising twist in the story of *69 Love Songs* came when iconic musician Peter Gabriel covered “The Book of Love” in 2004. Gabriel’s version, which appeared on the soundtrack of the film *Shall We Dance?*, transformed Merritt’s minimalist original into a sweeping, orchestral ballad. Gabriel’s deep, resonant voice gave the song a new emotional weight, and it quickly gained popularity beyond the indie music scene.
For Merritt, Gabriel’s cover was a delightful surprise—not only because it introduced his music to a new audience but also because of the financial windfall that followed. The success of Gabriel’s version provided Merritt with a level of financial stability he had never experienced before.
“I didn’t expect much from the cover, honestly,” Merritt says. “I thought it was nice that he wanted to record it, but I didn’t think it would take off the way it did. Then suddenly, I started getting these royalty checks, and eventually, it was enough to buy me a house. So yeah, Peter Gabriel bought me a house.”
Gabriel’s cover of “The Book of Love” continues to be one of the most widely known versions of the song, often used in weddings, films, and television shows. For many listeners, it serves as their introduction to The Magnetic Fields, leading them to discover the larger body of work behind *69 Love Songs*.
**The Enduring Influence of *69 Love Songs***
Over two decades after its release, *69 Love Songs* has become a touchstone for both fans and fellow musicians alike. Its influence can be heard across the indie music spectrum, inspiring a new generation of songwriters to explore unconventional approaches to love and relationships in their work. Artists like Sufjan Stevens, Regina Spektor, and Father John Misty have all cited The Magnetic Fields as an influence, particularly when it comes to blending humor with heartfelt emotion.
“*69 Love Songs* was a revelation for me,” says Sufjan Stevens. “It showed me that you don’t have to write love songs in the traditional sense. You can be ironic, you can be funny, and still write something deeply moving. Stephin Merritt’s ability to juxtapose different tones within a single song is something I think about a lot in my own writing.”
The album’s sprawling format and eclectic soundscapes also set a precedent for ambitious, large-scale musical projects in the indie world. In the years following its release, artists have increasingly experimented with multi-album concepts and genre-defying records, further cementing *69 Love Songs* as a landmark in music history.
**Challenges and Triumphs: The Making of a Masterpiece**
Despite its eventual success, the making of *69 Love Songs* was not without its challenges. The sheer scale of the project required a tremendous amount of creative energy and logistical coordination, with Merritt and his collaborators recording in various studios over the course of several months. Budget constraints and technical difficulties often threatened to derail the process, but Merritt’s unwavering vision kept the project on track.
“There were definitely moments when we wondered if we’d bitten off more than we could chew,” recalls Sam Davol, The Magnetic Fields’ cellist. “But Stephin was determined. He had this sense of urgency about the project, like he knew it had to be done, and he wasn’t going to let anything stop him. In the end, that drive is what made the album what it is.”
Merritt’s approach to songwriting during this period was also unique. He wrote many of the songs in bars, cafes, and other public spaces, using a portable synthesizer and notebook to jot down ideas as they came to him. The result was an album that feels both intimate and expansive, as if it were written in a world where love stories are playing out everywhere, all at once.
**The Legacy of *69 Love Songs*: Love in All Its Forms**
*69 Love Songs* continues to resonate with listeners today because it captures something universal about the human experience. While its title suggests a narrow focus on romantic love, the album’s exploration of love is much broader. From unrequited crushes to lifelong commitments, from the joy of new love to the grief of loss, the album encompasses all the emotional highs and lows that come with loving and being loved.
For Stephin Merritt, the album is not just about love—it’s also about storytelling. “At the end of the day, *69 Love Songs* is a collection of stories,” he says. “Some of them are true, some of them are fictional, but they’re all part of this larger narrative about what it means to love. I think that’s why people keep coming back to it, because love, in all its forms, is something we’re always trying to understand.”
As *69 Love Songs* celebrates its enduring legacy, The Magnetic Fields continue to tour and record new music, with Merritt at the helm. While they may never attempt another project as ambitious as *69 Love Songs*, the influence of that album will undoubtedly continue to shape their work—and the work of countless artists inspired by its brilliance.
For Merritt, the success of *69 Love Songs*—and the house that Peter Gabriel’s cover bought him—are reminders of the unexpected ways that art can impact our lives. “I never thought I’d write an album that would still matter to people 20 years later,” he says. “But here we are. Love songs never go out of style.”
