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
You Love Me
DeVotchKa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She was happy and it shows in the sun
And it was fate laid in stone
Sacred heart, sacred ground
Her two children and we moved as one
And you said you loved me
You said you loved me
Now there’s something missing
when you’re kissing me
It’s subtle yet it’s gone
And then I’m suspicious
And then it gets vicious
And then it’s a hole right through the heart
And you said you loved me
I thought you loved me
Now there is an ocean of time
Between your life and mine
You look happy and you’re married again
And oh my Lord how you’ve grown
To find me still alone
I am humble
I’m still trying to forget
When you said you loved me
I thought you loved me
DeVotchKa's "You Love Me" is a testament to the power of love and how it can both make us whole and leave us in pieces. The first stanza describes a moment of joy between two people, likely lovers, in the presence of the Mexican sky. The singer notes how happy the woman was, her happiness shining through like the sun. The stanza ends with a reference to fate, how it was "laid in stone," and how they all moved "as one." This suggests a feeling of inevitability and a powerful connection between the two.
However, the second stanza takes on a very different tone, one that is marked by betrayal and heartache. The singer notes that something is missing when they kiss, some subtle but crucial element that is now gone. As the suspicion grows, so too does the pain, leading to a "hole right through the heart." Despite their earlier protestations of love, it seems that the singer and their partner have drifted apart, leading to a sense of loneliness and abandonment. The final lines are filled with resignation, noting how much time has passed and how the other person has moved on, while the singer is still struggling to forget the pain they caused.
Overall, "You Love Me" is a mournful and heartbreaking song about the tenuous nature of love and how it can both lift us up and knock us down. The juxtaposition of joy and pain is striking and powerful, reflecting the many highs and lows that come with being in love.
Line by Line Meaning
Under the mother eyes of the Mexican sky
In Mexico, under the watchful eyes of the sky, representing a higher power or mother nature.
She was happy and it shows in the sun
She was content and her happiness was evident in the warmth of the sun.
And it was fate laid in stone
Their destiny was predetermined and unchangeable.
Sacred heart, sacred ground
The place they were together was special and had significant meaning to their relationship.
Her two children and we moved as one
The family unit was cohesive and they all moved together in harmony.
And you said you loved me
The singer is recalling a past moment when their partner professed love for them.
Now there’s something missing when you’re kissing me
In the present, the singer is noticing a lack of feeling or connection when they kiss their partner.
It’s subtle yet it’s gone
The change in feeling is not drastic but it is noticeable.
And then I’m suspicious
The artist becomes doubtful and uncertain about their partner's true feelings.
And then it gets vicious
Their thoughts and emotions become aggressive and hostile towards the partner.
And then it’s a hole right through the heart
The emptiness and pain of the relationship contradiction leaves a deep wound in the singer's heart.
And you said you loved me
The artist continues to reflect on their partner's past declaration of love.
I thought you loved me
The singer expresses their disappointment and confusion about their partner's change in affection.
Now there is an ocean of time between your life and mine
The singer acknowledges that time has passed and their lives are now separate and distant.
You look happy and you’re married again
The partner has moved on and found happiness in a new relationship.
And oh my Lord how you’ve grown
The partner has matured and evolved from the person they were when they were last with the artist.
To find me still alone, I am humble I’m still trying to forget
Despite their ex-partner's growth, the artist remains alone and is trying to move on from the memories of the past relationship.
When you said you loved me
The final line of the song brings the singer back to the moment when they were told they were loved.
Contributed by Anna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.