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.
I Love That Man
Devendra Banhart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hear bad things in a good way
And how I thank you all the time
So don't refuse this thank you of mine
And I arrive at your feet in peace
And I spend my time as I please
And I can't stop light from shining in
And at your end and your leaving
May you have no sin worth grieving
And I hope that I can someday ask
Something new to you at last
Now you talk, I'll pour
And our nearness grows
And when I'm bored, I'll let you know
This black ink cross that's on our palms
Let's keep them on
And never wash them off
It ain't for God, it's just for us
Once my friend but never again
And once we're in, we never end
The song “I Love That Man” by Devendra Banhart is a song about someone who adores a man, especially when he is performing on stage. The song’s opening line, “I love that man when he's on stage,” directly conveys this. The lover claims to hear bad things in a good way, which means that even when the man is speaking about unpleasant things, the lover is seeing more of the positive side of it. The lover is grateful to the man and thanks him throughout the song, but the man is never mentioned, which suggests that the song is about how the lover’s relationship with the man is more important than the man himself.
In the song, the lover talks about his own peace and freedom, which suggests that he is content with his own life. However, he admits that he cannot stop the light and breath from coming in, which implies that he has some kind of vulnerability that he cannot control. The song's theme concludes on a wish that the man may depart from this world without sin, and he hopes that he can ask the man something new in the future. Finally, there is a change in writing style from the first person to second person when the lover addresses the man and lets him know when he's bored.
Line by Line Meaning
I love that man when he's on stage
I admire this man's talent and energy when he performs on stage
I hear bad things in a good way
He expresses negative things in a creative and interesting way
And how I thank you all the time
I express gratitude to him frequently
So don't refuse this thank you of mine
Please accept my words of appreciation
And I arrive at your feet in peace
When I am with him, I am calm and relaxed
And I spend my time as I please
I do what I want to do when I am with him
And I can't stop light from shining in
I am unable to block out positive experiences
My god damned breath keeps breathing
I am alive and continue to breathe no matter what happens
And at your end and your leaving
When you pass away or leave
May you have no sin worth grieving
I hope you do not have any negative actions or regrets
And I hope that I can someday ask
I look forward to the day I can ask
Something new to you at last
A question or idea that will be fresh and interesting to him
Now you talk, I'll pour
I will serve drinks while he speaks
And our nearness grows
Our closeness becomes stronger
And when I'm bored, I'll let you know
I will communicate my boredom to him
This black ink cross that's on our palms
The symbol of our bond or friendship
Let's keep them on
Let's maintain this connection
And never wash them off
Let's keep this bond forever
It ain't for God, it's just for us
Our bond is not related to a higher power, it is only for us
Once my friend but never again
We were friends before, but not anymore
And once we're in, we never end
But once we establish a connection, it lasts forever
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DEVENDRA BANHART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Thais Nicols
on Mi Negrita
<3