The band's fifth album shows influences of the Arizona desert with producer Craig Schumacher (Calexico, Neko Case) to create a compendium of short stories inspired by the varied moments the band experienced since the release of A Mad & Faithful Telling (Anti-, 2007).
Like many bands, DeVotchKa spent much of their early years traveling the highways and byways searching for gigs and a musical direction. As time went on, the band began to foster important musical collaborations with the unequivocal Calexico and the seminal gypsy punks Gogol Bordello. International tours with Gogol and recordings with Calexico have helped spread the band’s sound around the globe.
Originally a backing band for burlesque shows, in their early years DeVotchKa also toured with fetish model Dita von Teese. Numerous nationwide tours in support of self-released records earned the band an underground following. Their song "How It Ends" introduced the band to a wider audience after being featured in the trailer for Everything Is Illuminated, in a Gears of War 2 trailer called "The Last Day", and in an episode of Everwood (Season 4).
Arcade Fire singer Win Butler suggested to DeVotchKa that they cover the Siouxsie and the Banshees song "The Last Beat of My Heart". The musicians found the idea interesting and they recorded that song for the now critically acclaimed Curse Your Little Heart EP. The band did a world tour in support of their previous album, A Mad & Faithful Telling (released March, 2008). The album reached No. 9 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and No. 29 on the Top Independent Albums chart.["New World" and "Head Honcho" were featured in a season 4 episode of the Showtime television show Weeds.
DeVotchKa's first big break happened when Nic Harcourt, former music director for KCRW, introduced his listeners to a then unknown rock band of worldly sounds on his daily radio show, "Morning Becomes Eclectic". Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, who were listening that day, stumbled upon the sound for their movie, "Little Miss Sunshine". A critical and box office hit, the film was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar and, for DeVotchKa's soundtrack, a Grammy. The little gypsy wedding band from Denver was suddenly known all across the US, playing large venues and major music festivals, including Coachella, Bumbershoot, Lollapalooza, and Mile High Music Festival. After years of toiling in obscurity, the band was selling out shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco and First Avenue in Minneapolis, with breakout performances at Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits Music Festival. The love spread to Europe, which has become a yearly destination for the band.
"100 Lovers" is the album DeVotchKa had always wanted to make. "How it Ends" was recorded and mixed in only nine days, mainly due to lack of funds. On "A Mad and Faithful Telling,” the band had more time and conducted complex arrangements and experimental recording techniques. For "100 Lovers", DeVotchKa spent over a year defining their sound, taking multiple trips to the desert studio to craft twelve new recordings. The final product is the bands strongest album to date, filled with songs fans will love, songs to draw in new listeners, and exciting numbers that fit nicely into their rousing live sets. Guests on the album include members of Calexico and Mauro Refosco, David Byrne and Thom Yorke’s go-to percussionist. With a full tour lined up for the spring and dates booked all over the world, 2011 is gearing up to be the biggest year for DeVotchKa yet.
DeVotchKa is:
Nick Urata: Vocals, guitars, Theremin, trumpet, piano
Jeanie Schroder: acoustic bass, sousaphone
Shawn King: drums, percussion, trumpet
Tom Hagerman: violin, viola, accordion, piano
100 Other Lovers
DeVotchKa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the ?
Or bargain basement loves
To come and ? us
Til you're having visions of these fine conditions
Overseas transmissions to anyone who will listen
You're waiting for your drums to kick in
I am gonna count to three then you are leaving here with me
Are we wasting all our precious time
Chasing dollars, chasing dimes?
German, English, Japanese
All the sand in all the seas
It's the only place
It's all we know
And as we speak it's going down
And don't forget me, look back for me
Here's the part that always gets me
You float across the room
Your lips are in full bloom
Letters fall from your mouth
As you found me out
You've been here before
Out on the civil war
I'll wait religiously
Don't forget that you came here with me
Are we wasting all our precious time
Chasing dollars, chasing dimes?
German, English, Japanese
All the sand in all the seas
It's the only place
It's all we know
And as we speak it's going down
And don't forget me, look back for me
Here's the part that always gets me
The lyrics to DeVotchKa's song All the Sand in all the Sea depict a yearning to escape the mundanity of everyday life and traverse the world. The song paints a picture of the disheartened and disillusioned, searching for something more fulfilling than the superficiality of material possessions. The lyrics convey a sense of urgency, urging people to abandon their comfort zones and embrace adventure, even if it means leaving behind the familiar.
The opening lines of the song, "All you precious souls/ And the?/ Or bargain basement loves/ To come and? us," allude to the desire for meaningful connections and relationships that go beyond superficial attraction or convenience. The song questions whether we are wasting our time chasing after money and material possessions, asking "Are we wasting all our precious time/ Chasing dollars, chasing dimes?". The lyrics suggest that we need to break free from the shackles of societal pressures and expectations and embrace the unknown.
The line "All the sand in all the seas/ It's the only place/ It's all we know" is a poignant reminder that our time on this planet is finite and that we should make the most of it. The lyrics touch on themes of mortality, acknowledging that we are all on a journey that will eventually come to an end. The song ends with the plea, "And don't forget me, look back for me/ Here's the part that always gets me," emphasizing the importance of cherishing the memories we create with the people we meet along the way.
Overall, DeVotchKa's All the Sand in all the Sea is an inspiring ode to the human spirit and the yearning for adventure and self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
All you precious souls
Addressing all the valuable people
And the ?
Asking about a specific group or thing
Or bargain basement loves
Or cheap and temporary loves
To come and ? us
To join us or be with us
Til you're having visions of these fine conditions
Until you start to see the beauty around us
Overseas transmissions to anyone who will listen
Sharing our experiences and perspectives with the world
You're waiting for your drums to kick in
You're waiting for something exciting to happen
You wanna free your earth-bound wings
You want to break free from constraints and limitations
I am gonna count to three then you are leaving here with me
I will lead you towards a new adventure
Are we wasting all our precious time
Are we spending our time wisely?
Chasing dollars, chasing dimes?
Chasing after money and material things
German, English, Japanese
Different languages and cultures
All the sand in all the seas
The world and everything in it
It's the only place
This is our home
It's all we know
Our experiences are limited to what we know and have seen
And as we speak it's going down
Things are changing and evolving constantly
And don't forget me, look back for me
Remember who you left behind
Here's the part that always gets me
This is the part that touches me emotionally
You float across the room
You move gracefully and elegantly
Your lips are in full bloom
Your lips are beautiful and expressive
Letters fall from your mouth
Words flow out of you effortlessly
As you found me out
As you discovered who I really am
You've been here before
You have experienced this before
Out on the civil war
Referring to experiences of conflict
I'll wait religiously
I will wait with commitment and devotion
And don't forget that you came here with me
Remember our connection and shared experiences
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DEREK TODD BROWN, JEFFREY SCOTT LYSTER, KELLEY LOGSDON, MARK O. EVERETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Logan
I will admit
I am embarrassed by your grace
And the complete look of boredom upon your face
You want to be a million miles from this place
You want to get on with my untimely disgrace
I am alone
I am in love with an idea
Sophisticated Neurological appeals
I want to negotiate some kind of a deal
I want to tear it open show you that it's real
Oh the things I will believe
Ignore the hundred lovers
You got hidden up your sleeve
The words come easily
And they sound so lovely
I guess it's just as easy if you lie to me
Everybody they got all kinds of advice
They want to tell you
Just how you should live your life
But who exactly am I supposed to believe?
Am I supposed to let you walk away from me?
I know it's coming
I can feel it in my bones
This is information you already know
Even if it's only temporarily
Give the illusion tonight you belong to me
Oh the things I will believe
Ignore the hundred lovers
You got hidden up your sleeve
The words come easily
And they sound so lovely
I guess it's just as easy if you lie to me
Munkhbat Enkhtaivan
I just can't understand why songs like this doesn't get the appreciation it deserves...
grace felan
i am extremely satisfied with this song. to be honest i was nervous to hear it. im in love, i cant wait to see them in march
Jeremy Smith
My interpretation: each bird is one of her past lovers, and as she nears the end of her life she's saying goodbye to all those memories. I like how each cage is opened by a special key, maybe corresponding to a particular era in her life? I guess the little orange bird, the first one she freed and the last one she says goodbye to, was her first lover. A sad but fond farewell :)
J T
love your interpretation
Dister Pluton
Love this band. :) They can put so much authentic feeling into their songs...Beautiful.
WalkLikeAGhost
Saw these guys at the Belly Up in San Diego last March. One of the greatest shows I've ever seen... Only wish I remembered more of it.
Igor Lucas
Muito boa a musica (BRAZIL)
sophie
i am crazy for this. i dont really much care for modern day 80's new wave-esque music but the background beat and lyrics to this song are amazing. i can realy relate.
Chris
If you close your eyes this song takes you to amazing places.
Mubler Maniac
the meaning of this song is so beautiful such a sacrifice she made