Devendra Obi Banhart (born May 30, 1981) is a Venezuelan American singer-so… Read Full Bio ↴Devendra Obi Banhart (born May 30, 1981) is a Venezuelan American singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. His first few records were released on the Young God Records label from New York City. His most recent CD was released by Nonesuch. He is one of the most popular artists to come out of the "New Weird America" movement, which includes performers such as Faun Fables, Viking Moses, Jack Rose, Jana Hunter, Arborea, The MV & EE Medicine Show, Currituck Co., Six Organs of Admittance, and The Royal We, among others. He also often joins the band known as Vetiver.

Banhart is considered to have an eclectic style, with many of his songs seemingly following a stream-of-consciousness vein, being hard to decipher and non-literal. His music tends to consist of fairly simple guitar melodies with minimal other instrumentation, and his lyrical themes are often surreal and naturalistic. His involvement in the Los Angeles artist community is reflected in Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, released in September 2007. He gained some underground notoriety in New York for performing several of his early shows with underwear on his head for the duration of the performance.

Banhart's most recent tour of the United States saw him perform with his full band, which is currently known as Power Mineral. Power Mineral included Andy Cabic (Vetiver), Greg Rogove (Priestbird), Noah Georgeson, Luckey Remington, Pete Newsom, Otto Hauser (Vetiver, Currituck Co., Espers, Nick Castro), Kevin Barker (Currituck Co.), and others. The band claims to rechristen itself when a name comes to them, and has previously been known as Fried Hummingbird, Vagina Burglars, Hairy Fairy Band, Las Putas Locas, Stoner Boner, Spiritual Boner, Bummer Hummer, Brain Taint, Love Fart, Bathhouse Of The Winds, and First Woman Millionaire among other names.

Banhart was discovered by Michael Gira of Swans, who released his Oh Me Oh My... The Way the Day Goes by the Sun Is Setting Dogs Are Dreaming… album on his own Young God Records label in 2002. In 2005, Banhart (along with Andy Cabic and Revolver USA) created the Gnomonsong record label. In 2006 he helped to curate an edition of the British All Tomorrow's Parties festival.

Banhart also was one of the younger musicians responsible for "rediscovering" the music of folksinger Vashti Bunyan. Bunyan is a guest vocalist on his album Rejoicing in the Hands.

"Daniel"
Devendra Banhart Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We once had a time
Meet me at The Castro tonight
I held a rose, you held who knows
But that’s fine

And we fell in love, we fell in love
At the Jon Reed choir
And right there and then

I swore to no end
Swore to never let you go

But love’s got a way of fading away
I never saw you again
I never saw you again

Waiting in line to see Suede play

And we had a time, I wish we could stay
And waiting in line to see Suede play

Overall Meaning

The song "Daniel" by Devendra Banhart is about a love story that was cut short by circumstances. The first verse is about an earlier time, perhaps when the couple first met. The singer reminisces about meeting the lover at a specific location, The Castro, while holding a rose. They both fell in love while listening to the Jon Reed choir, and the singer made a pledge to never let go of their love. However, the second verse is about the situation changing, and love fading away. The singer says that they never saw the lover again, despite waiting in line at the Suede concert, and they wish they could stay together.

The song's melancholic tone perfectly captures the mood of unfulfilled love, as the singer regrets not being able to hold on to the relationship that seemed so promising at the time. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the couple's initial attraction and their shared experience of music. However, the heartbreaking end to their relationship leaves the singer feeling disappointed and alone.

Line by Line Meaning

We once had a time
There was a time when we were together

Meet me at The Castro tonight
Let's meet at The Castro tonight

I held a rose, you held who knows
I had a rose, but I don't know what you were holding

But that’s fine
But it doesn't matter

And we fell in love, we fell in love
We fell in love with each other

At the Jon Reed choir
When we were at the Jon Reed choir

And right there and then
In that moment

I swore to no end
I made a promise

Swore to never let you go
That I would never let you go

But love’s got a way of fading away
But sometimes love fades away

I never saw you again
I never saw you again after that