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.

06 Cosmos and Demos
Devendra Banhart Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've never told this story to another living soul
For fear it might awaken and the story would unfold
Candles in a courtyard
And a paper colored cat

While demos danced on feathers
And cosmos held the hat
Next came their profession

And a paper colored purr

And umber armed albino
And the crowd began to stir
I slid behind a linden
To swallow what I'd seen

I slid behind a linden
To swallow what I'd seen
Threads of grass and thimbles
Needles made of hair

Weaves a dance that stumbles
Limbs laughed in the air
Threads of grass and thimbles
Needles made of hair

Weaves a dance that stumbles
Limbs laughed in the air
And on the day you fall
Who's name would you call

The only thing you taught me is the only thing you know
How to start a fire once the embers cease to glow

The only thing you taught me is the only thing you know
How to start a fire once the embers cease to glow

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Devendra Banhart's "Cosmos and Demos" invite the listener into an intimate and personal story. The singer confesses that he has never before shared the events of the story with anyone out of fear that telling it might bring back the memories of what happened. The scene is set, and imagination takes flight: there are candles in a courtyard, a "paper colored cat," Demoiselle Cranes dancing on feathers, and Cosmos with his hat. Suddenly, their profession is revealed, and a white-armed albino appears, causing a stir in the crowd. At this point, the singer retreats to the safety of a linden tree, trying to process and make sense of what he has just seen.

The second verse begins with a repetition of the "Threads of grass and thimbles/Needles made of hair" lines, and imagery of a dance that stumbles and limbs that laugh fill the air. The singer seems to be lost in the experience, not quite sure what to make of it all. The final lines pose a question, "And on the day you fall, who's name would you call?" which suggests a deeper existential worry, brought on perhaps by the surreal events that have just unfolded.

Ultimately, the song is a meditation on the fleeting nature of experiences, and how sometimes they remain enigmatic, even when distilled into memory. The final lines, "The only thing you taught me is the only thing you know/How to start a fire once the embers cease to glow," suggest that the experience, though complicated and fraught with confusion, has imparted a knowledge of how to move forward when things come to an end.

Line by Line Meaning

I've never told this story to another living soul
I've always kept this story to myself, worried that if someone else knew, it might come back to haunt me.

For fear it might awaken and the story would unfold
I'm afraid that if I talk about it, it might come to life and reveal itself.

Candles in a courtyard
Candles flickering in a courtyard.

And a paper colored cat
A cat made out of paper, possibly a decoration.

While demos danced on feathers
Demons were dancing on feathers, maybe metaphorically.

And cosmos held the hat
Cosmos, possibly referring to the universe or outer space, was holding the hat in this scene.

Next came their profession
After this event, their occupation was revealed.

And a paper colored purr
There was a soft, subtle sound like that of a paper cat purring.

And umber armed albino
There was a person with dark skin and white hair, whose arms were the color of umber.

And the crowd began to stir
The audience started to become agitated or restless.

I slid behind a linden
I hid behind a linden tree to avoid being seen.

To swallow what I'd seen
To try and process or come to terms with what I had witnessed.

Threads of grass and thimbles
Tiny pieces of grass and thimbles that were used in some sort of crafting.

Needles made of hair
The needles used were crafted or made from human hair.

Weaves a dance that stumbles
The dancing was a little uncoordinated and awkward, but still beautiful.

Limbs laughed in the air
The arms and legs of the dancers were flailing around wildly, giving the impression of laughing.

And on the day you fall
When you eventually fail or fall down in life.

Who's name would you call
Who would you turn to for support or comfort in that moment of failure or defeat?

The only thing you taught me is the only thing you know
You only know how to do one thing, and that's what you have taught me.

How to start a fire once the embers cease to glow
You may have taught me a skill, but it's only useful when things seem hopeless and all hope seems lost.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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