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.
Freely
Devendra Banhart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's about the one you sight
It's about the love you hide
It's waitin' to be let outside
And it ain't about losing yer mind
But if you happen to, that's fine
But theres only one way to shine
Freely, freely meu coracao
Freely, freely meu coracao
I'd like to live that way
I'd like to live that way
And my mother may not understand
Why I'm the way that I am
But I love her and I wanna let her in (do you love her?)*
Get to know a friend
And now we gotta take some time
Get to know each other our whole lives
And I call on you to remind
Nothing's really mine
Except for
Freedom, freedom en meu coracao
Freedom, freedom en meu coracao
I'd like to live that way
Oh I'd wanna stay stay that way
Ya ever seen anything as kind
As the wind blowing by?
I've never seen anything as wise
As the sun rise that shines
Freely, freely en meu coracao
Freely, freely meu coracao
I'd like to live that way
I'd wanna live that way
Devendra Banhart's song Freely speaks about living life in a simple and loving way. The opening lines “It ain't about a heart you find. It's about the one you sight,” convey the idea that love is fleeting and ever-changing. The heart that we find may not be the one that we end up with, so it's important to acknowledge the love we have for someone when we first see them. The song mentions that love should not be hidden and that it's waiting to be let outside. It's a reminder to be honest with ourselves and our loved ones.
The second verse of the song speaks about mental health, saying that it's fine to lose your mind, but it's important to keep trying to live. The song asserts that only one way to shine, and that is by trying to live freely. The chorus repeats, “Freely, freely meu coracao,” which means “freely, freely my heart,” in Portuguese, which emphasizes the importance of living life freely, without any constraints.
The third verse of the song mentions Devendra Banhart's mother, and how she may not understand his way of living, but he still loves her and wants to let her in. It's a reminder that no matter how different we are from our loved ones, we should still strive to get to know them and learn from them. The song concludes with a reference to the beauty of nature, stating that the wind blowing by and the sun rising are among the kindest and wisest things in life.
Overall, the song Freely encourages people to live life freely, to be honest with their feelings, and embrace the beauty in life’s simple things.
Line by Line Meaning
It ain't about a heart you find
Love isn't something you stumble upon
It's about the one you sight
It's about the love you see and choose
It's about the love you hide
Love is something you conceal within yourself
It's waitin' to be let outside
Love is something you need to express
And it ain't about losing yer mind
Going crazy doesn't define love
But if you happen to, that's fine
But if it happens, that's okay
But theres only one way to shine
But there's only one way to live
And it's called trying to live
And it's called trying to live
Freely, freely meu coracao
I want to live with an open heart
And my mother may not understand
My mother may not comprehend my way of life
Why I'm the way that I am
Why I choose to live the way I do
But I love her and I wanna let her in (do you love her?)
But I love her and I want to share my life with her
Get to know a friend
She could be a friend
And now we gotta take some time
We need to take some time
Get to know each other our whole lives
To know each other for the rest of our lives
And I call on you to remind
And I call on you to recall
Nothing's really mine
In reality, nothing really belongs to me
Except for
Except for
Freedom, freedom en meu coracao
The freedom I feel in my heart
I'd like to live that way
I want to live freely
Oh I'd wanna stay stay that way
I want to remain free
Ya ever seen anything as kind
Have you ever seen anything as compassionate
As the wind blowing by?
As the wind that passes by?
I've never seen anything as wise
I have not seen anything as knowledgeable
As the sun rise that shines
As the sunrise that illuminates the day
Freely, freely en meu coracao
I want to live with a heart that is free
I'd like to live that way
I want to live freely
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DEVENDRA BANHART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Theloveinabubble
"I've never seen anything as wise as the sun rise that shines" very romantic line :)
@PauletaPorreta
Funny, as a kid I always told other people to go live their dreams, forget about society or their fears... And now I find myself getting wrapped up in life and society and demands and forgetting about what I really want to do. Then this song came up and I actually listened to it and I almost cried. (I just didn't because I was in public)
@isadoravidal5113
Crying in public is freedom
@alkazaryyy
And now 7 years later, how are you doing now? :)
@judgegoodevening6231
paula...
@kiokio21
I love having facial hair because when I listen to songs like this i get goosebumps all over my face also. :)
@GaleraBodyboard
This song is so much deeper than it appears to be. He is expressing his whole being in a few words. I share his take on life and Im so glad that there is more of us out there. Live freely, follow your heart, if you have an open mind, use it to guide you to wherever your heart leads you.
@children0fthegrave
does anybody else remember a couple years ago there was a video of him playing this on his porch? it was so perfect and I can't seem to find it anywhere on the internet now.
@easleweasle
Really beautiful! I feel so lucky to know a few people like this...with a message of love and sharing. I wish the rest of the world was more like this....maybe oneday....just maybe......
@magumaah
hace un año cuando platicabamos las mil horas y me compartiste este video y me enamore de la musica de devendra siempre recordare que por ti lo conoci :) muchas gracias ahora tenemos casi 9 meses de novios te amo <3