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.
Lazy Butterfly
Devendra Banhart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dreaming of the sky and roly polys
Wake up, wake up, clouds are coming, clouds are coming
Wake up, wake up, rains are falling, rains are falling
Colors in my eye are staring at me
Anchor at my side as sweet as silver
Pleasure, pleasure, don't forget her, don't forget her
Seashell fingernail scratching at me
Brown eyed lullaby singing at me
Come on, come on, try and catch me, try and catch me
Come on, come on, try and catch m, try and catch me
Cotton old cloud smoke I know he feels it
Rising from an oak because I feel it
He burn, he burn, mesmerizing, mesmerizing
He burn, he burn, hypnotizing, hypnotizing
Hopeful wise old worm in his temple
Digging in the dirt staying simple
Married, married, to the desert to the desert
Climbing, climbing, up a ladder up a ladder
Purple hummingbird in the meadow
Suckling at the flow of its shadow
See the day fit your fist in, fit your fist in
It's never too late, I'd like to think so, I'd like to think so
Knife stuck in her paw someone help her
Gather sticks and straw and build it shelter
Don't you, don't you, let her die yeah, let her die yeah
The song "Lazy Butterfly" by Devendra Banhart is a dream-like and whimsical piece that shares themes of nature, love, and hope. The song starts with the image of a butterfly that is sleeping on the singer - representing the presence of something beautiful and serene in his life. The butterfly is dreaming of the sky and the rolling hills, but the singer urges it to wake up and take notice of the clouds and rains that are falling. This could symbolize the need to be present in the moment and not miss out on the beauty around us.
The lyrics continue with different images such as colors, anchors, seashells, brown eyes, smoke, worms, and hummingbirds. All of these have symbolic meanings, and their purpose is to show how the singer finds wonder and delight in the world around him. The colors and anchor represent stability and grounding, while the hummingbird symbolizes the beauty and elegance of nature. The seashell and brown eyes represent a connection to the earth and its life forms. The smoke and worms represent transformation and change.
The last lines of the song refer to a knife stuck in someone's paw, urging listeners to gather sticks and straw and help build shelter. This could represent the need to take care of one another, to reach out and offer support to those in need. Overall, "Lazy Butterfly" is a song that invites reflection on the beauty of nature and our need to be mindful and present in the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Lazy butterfly napping on me
A tired butterfly is resting on Devendra's body.
Dreaming of the sky and roly polys
The butterfly is sleeping and dreaming of the sky and rolling stones.
Wake up, wake up, clouds are coming, clouds are coming
Devendra is requesting the butterfly to wake up, as clouds are approaching.
Wake up, wake up, rains are falling, rains are falling
Devendra urges the butterfly to wake up as it is raining.
Colors in my eye are staring at me
Devendra's sight is fixated on the colors around him.
Anchor at my side as sweet as silver
Something reliable and precious is by Devendra's side.
Pleasure, pleasure, don't forget her, don't forget her
Devendra reminds himself to always cherish a certain pleasure in his life.
Love her, love her, I won't forget her, I won't forget her
Devendra is determined to never forget an important woman in his life.
Seashell fingernail scratching at me
A seashell is accidentally scratching Devendra's skin.
Brown eyed lullaby singing at me
A soothing song is being sung by a brown-eyed person to Devendra.
Come on, come on, try and catch me, try and catch me
Someone is playfully challenging Devendra to catch them.
Come on, come on, try and catch me, try and catch me
The same person is still playing and challenging Devendra to catch them.
Cotton old cloud smoke I know he feels it
Devendra senses the presence of smoky clouds.
Rising from an oak because I feel it
Devendra thinks that the cloud smoke is rising from a nearby oak tree because he can feel it.
He burn, he burn, mesmerizing, mesmerizing
Devendra finds the burning smoke mesmerizing.
He burn, he burn, hypnotizing, hypnotizing
Devendra is entranced by the smoke's burning and hypnotic effect.
Hopeful wise old worm in his temple
An optimistic and knowledgeable worm is in his home.
Digging in the dirt staying simple
The worm is content, living a simple life and digging in the dirt.
Married, married, to the desert to the desert
The worm has allegiance and attachment to the desert.
Climbing, climbing, up a ladder up a ladder
The worm is metaphorically climbing up a ladder, perhaps towards knowledge or success.
Purple hummingbird in the meadow
There is a purple hummingbird in the open field.
Suckling at the flow of its shadow
The hummingbird is drinking the nectar of flowers in the shadows.
See the day fit your fist in, fit your fist in
Devendra encourages the listener to seize the day and make the most of it.
It's never too late, I'd like to think so, I'd like to think so
Devendra holds the belief that it's never too late for something good to happen.
Knife stuck in her paw someone help her
An animal has a knife lodged into their paw and needs assistance.
Gather sticks and straw and build it shelter
Devendra advises to build a shelter for the injured animal with materials like sticks and straw.
Don't you, don't you, let her die yeah, let her die yeah
Devendra makes an emphatic case to help the animal so it doesn't die.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DEVENDRA BANHART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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