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
We're Leaving
DeVotchKa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For we are merely home town ghosts
And it's been all over the floor
What the hell are you saving it for?
Oh June, July, August, September
Let's drink 'em all
I don't want to remember
It's a shame my dears
There's no room for lost years
So we're leaving
We're leaving
We're leaving tonight
You look lovely lying wasted on the bed
staring at a photograph of you and your best friends
they said "make a cross over your heart,
and swear we'll never drift apart"
It's a shame my dear
to be leaving you here
but we're leaving
we're leaving
we're leaving tonight
oh my hero's my lovers where have you gone?
there is somthing in the air, something is wrong
where is my father, my mother, my sister, my lovers
have you all gone over to the other side?
It's a shame my dears
There's no room for me here
so, I'm leaving
I'm leaving
I'm leaving tonight
The lyrics to DeVotchKa's "We're Leaving" paint a vivid picture of young people coming to terms with their fleeting youth and friendship. The song appears to be a nostalgic tribute to a group of friends who have grown up together but are about to embark on new journeys apart from each other. The opening lines, "Raise your glasses please into a toast/For we are merely hometown ghosts," seem to suggest that the group, nicknamed "ghosts," belong to a small town or a community where their future prospects are limited. The mention of a spilled drink on the floor further emphasizes the transitory, precarious nature of their situation.
The chorus, "It's a shame my dears/There's no room for lost years/So we're leaving/We're leaving/We're leaving tonight," suggests that the group feels a sense of urgency to move on and not waste any more time. They want to hold on to the memories of their youth as they prepare to say goodbye to each other. The following verse, "You look lovely lying wasted on the bed/staring at a photograph of you and your best friends/they said 'make a cross over your heart,/and swear we'll never drift apart,'" captures the wistful, melancholic mood of the song. The characters are aware that their promise to stay in touch is just a gesture, and they are likely to lose touch with each other as they pursue their own goals.
The final verse, "oh my hero's my lovers where have you gone?/there is something in the air, something is wrong/where is my father, my mother, my sister, my lovers/have you all gone over to the other side?" suggests a sense of existential dread and confusion. The singer feels abandoned by the people who have meant the most to them in their life, and they wonder if they too will disappear into obscurity. The chorus repeats, and the song ends on a bittersweet note, with the realization that goodbyes are inevitable, and life goes on.
Line by Line Meaning
Raise your glasses please into a toast
Let's raise our glasses and make a toast to this moment and this place.
For we are merely home town ghosts
We are like shadows of what we used to be in this town.
And it's been all over the floor
All the emotions and memories of this place are scattered and disorganized.
What the hell are you saving it for?
Why are you holding onto these memories and emotions that are tied to this place?
Oh June, July, August, September
Referring to the summer months, a time of freedom and fun.
Let's drink 'em all
Let's enjoy and experience everything these months have to offer.
I don't want to remember
I don't want to hold onto these moments and cling to them because they will eventually fade away.
These have been the best years of our lives
These moments and experiences have been the pinnacle of our existence so far.
It's a shame my dears
It's unfortunate that this has to happen.
There's no room for lost years
We cannot dwell on the time that we have lost.
So we're leaving
We have made the decision to leave this place.
We're leaving
We are serious and committed to leaving.
We're leaving tonight
We are making this change happen now and not putting it off any longer.
You look lovely lying wasted on the bed
Despite the state of your intoxication, you still appear beautiful.
staring at a photograph of you and your best friends
Your memories and emotions are tied to those who are close to you.
they said "make a cross over your heart,
The people in the photo are symbolic of a promise to remain close and connected.
and swear we'll never drift apart"
To promise to maintain a close relationship despite changes or circumstances.
oh my hero's my lovers where have you gone?
The people who are important to me and who I love, where have they gone?
there is something in the air, something is wrong
There is a feeling of unease or something not being right.
where is my father, my mother, my sister, my lovers
Where are the people who mean the most to me?
have you all gone over to the other side?
Have these people left me or moved on to something else?
It's a shame my dears
It's difficult and upsetting, but this is the reality.
There's no room for me here
I cannot stay here and continue to feel lost or disconnected.
so, I'm leaving
I have to go and find my place somewhere else.
I'm leaving
It's not just a thought or a desire, I have made the decision to leave.
I'm leaving tonight
I cannot wait any longer, I have to make this change happen now.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brianmillen499
There isn't a single sound wasted in anything these guys do. Truly wonderful.
@ByTheLightOfABurningDonkey
Shes killin it, the bassist.
@ByTheLightOfABurningDonkey
Looks so fun to play. Once playing music like I think ones enjoys it more.
@buttership
Stunning, joyful and amazing, my life is richer after hearing this, thank you
@archy2frank2
Song makes want to LIVE! And cry.
@GuadalupePicasso
Saw these guys in Berlin late last month, first time since seeing them in Philly in ‘09 (and, Pittsburgh in ‘08). They truly are an amazing band, with such an incredible array of musical talent.
@sr_pidgeotto
Esa interpretación con tanta pasión es lo que me gusta de Devotchka. Son geniales!
@renerangel7507
Truly outstanding 👏
@kitmookdi4497
so good
@buttership
Incredible