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.

Horseheadedfleshwizard
Devendra Banhart Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hose down the dead
Before they die
Before they die
Hose down the dead
Before they die
Before they die

Oh do you hear

A dying fire
A dying fire
Oh can you feel
A golden soul
One golden soul

Now I put the ovaries in my mouth
And all the dogs won't die
And the devil will call the cats home
And he looks up to the sky

I put the ovaries in my mouth
And all the dogs won't die
And the devil will call the cats home
And he looks up to the sky

Hose down the dead
Before they die
Before they die

Hose down the dead
Before they die
Before they die
Before they die

Before they die
Before they die

Overall Meaning

This song by Devendra Banhart "Horseheadedfleshwizard" is an enigmatic piece that involves a mix of imagery and metaphor. The opening lines "Hose down the dead, Before they die" suggests a need for a practical approach. This phrase can be interpreted in a few ways. One possible interpretation is that it is a warning about the inevitability of death - that it is better to cleanse and prepare oneself before dying. Another meaning could be that we should wash away the metaphorical "dead" parts of ourselves before they start to decay and affect us negatively.

The next few lines "Oh do you hear a dying fire, Oh can you feel a golden soul" bring in elements of the senses, as if attempting to connect with the listener on a more visceral level. The song then takes a turn with the enigmatic lyrics, "Now I put the ovaries in my mouth, And all the dogs won't die". This line is potentially referencing the human body's ability to create new life, or it could be an allusion to the power of persuasion, suggesting that the singer has the power to prevent tragedy or death. "And the devil will call the cats home, And he looks up to the sky" follows, which could suggest that even the forces of evil seek redemption and that there is always the possibility of hope in the world.

The chorus is repeated twice more, "Hose down the dead, Before they die, Before they die, Hose down the dead, Before they die, Before they die, Before they die, Before they die". Overall, the song seems to call for listeners to be mindful of their mortality, to keep themselves pure and connected to their soul, and to hold onto the hope that there is always the possibility of redemption.

Line by Line Meaning

Hose down the dead
Cleanse or spray water on the dead bodies

Before they die
Before they actually die or breathe their last

Before they die
Prior to their death

Hose down the dead
Cleanse or spray water on the lifeless bodies

Before they die
Prior to their last breath or demise

Before they die
Preventing any suffering before they pass away

Oh do you hear
Can you perceive the sound

A dying fire
A fire which is about to be extinguished

A dying fire
A flame that is fading away slowly

Oh can you feel
Do you experience the sensation

A golden soul
A pure and virtuous spirit