DeVotchKa is an American band that melds a collection of influences into a … Read Full Bio ↴DeVotchKa is an American band that melds a collection of influences into a blend of rock 'n' roll.

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

Venus in Furs
DeVotchKa Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather
Shiny leather in the dark
Whiplash girlchild, your servant, don't forsake him
Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart

Downy sins of your streetlight fancies
You chase the costumes that she will wear
Ermine furs adorn imperiously

Severin, Severin awaits you there

I am tired, I am weary
I could sleep for a thousand years
A thousand dreams that could awake us
Different colors made from your tears

Kiss the boot of shiny, shiny leather
Shiny leather in the dark
Tongue of thongs, the belt that does await you
Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart

Severin, Severin, you speak so slightly
Severin, Severin, down on bended knee
Taste the whip, in love not given lightly
Taste the whip and bleed on me

I am tired, I am weary
I could sleep for a thousand years

A thousand dreams that would awake us
Different colors made from your tears

Overall Meaning

The song “Venus in Furs” by DeVotchka is a cover of a song by The Velvet Underground. The lyrics describe a dark, sadomasochistic relationship between Severin and his mistress. The song starts off with Severin being submissive to his mistress, who is adorned in shiny, leather boots. He pleads with her to strike him, her “whiplash girlchild,” and cure his heart. The second verse describes the mistress’ erotic fantasies and the costumes she wears to fulfill them, including ermine furs. Severin is eagerly waiting for her to fulfill these fantasies.

The chorus repeats the theme of weariness, as Severin expresses his desire to sleep for a thousand years and dream of the different colors made from his mistress’ tears. The final verse has Severin begging for his mistress to taste the whip, indicating a reversal of power dynamics in the relationship. He wants to be the one to provide pleasure to his mistress, even if it means bleeding for her. Overall, the lyrics depict a complex, dysfunctional relationship that is based on power and control.

Line by Line Meaning

Shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather
The dominatrix is described as wearing shiny leather boots.

Shiny leather in the dark
The boots are described as appearing even shinier in darkness, perhaps to enhance their imposing nature.

Whiplash girlchild, your servant, don't forsake him
The singer describes the submissive as a 'whiplash girlchild', and pleads that the dominatrix not abandon him.

Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart
The submissive asks the dominatrix to strike him in order to cure his heart, perhaps indicating a need for escape from some type of emotional pain.

Downy sins of your streetlight fancies
The artist references the soft or gentle 'sins' of the submissive's nighttime desires or fantasies.

You chase the costumes that she will wear
The submissive is described as eager to partake in the dominatrix's costumes or role-playing scenarios.

Ermine furs adorn imperiously
The singer describes the dominant figure as wearing expensive and luxurious furs that add to her authority or regal nature.

Severin, Severin awaits you there
The submissive is being called to join the domme, Severin, in some type of pre-arranged encounter.

I am tired, I am weary
The artist expresses fatigue, perhaps as a result of playing the submissive role for too long.

I could sleep for a thousand years
The artist expresses a desire for rest and escape from both physical and emotional exhaustion.

A thousand dreams that could awake us
The singer imagines a dream world that could bring a reprieve from the mundane, or perhaps symbolizes a way to escape emotional pain.

Different colors made from your tears
The artist envisions a dream world where different colors are created from the tears of the submissive, possibly indicating that emotional release can lead to artistic creation.

Kiss the boot of shiny, shiny leather
The submissive is told to kiss the dominatrix's boots as an act of subservience or worship.

Tongue of thongs, the belt that does await you
The submissive is told that the dominatrix's belt is waiting to be used on him, and that he should anticipate it with his tongue.

Severin, Severin, you speak so slightly
The singer comments on the submissive's soft speech, possibly as a way to highlight his meekness and obedience.

Severin, Severin, down on bended knee
The submissive submits himself to the domme, Severin, on bended knee in an act of subservience and worship.

Taste the whip, in love not given lightly
The submissive welcomes the pain of the whip, indicating a desire to prove his love or devotion to the domme.

Taste the whip and bleed on me
The submissive invites the dominatrix to whip him and make him bleed, perhaps as an act of sacrifice or devotion.

Contributed by Ellie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

@theverdantfern

28w↑5

This is one of the best covers of Venus In Furs ever made.
Used to listen to it constantly in high school.
It's too bad that the EP is no longer available anywhere except here.