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.
Little Yellow Spider
Devendra Banhart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Little yellow spider, laughing at the snow
Ah, maybe that spider knows something that I don't know
'Cause I'm Goddamn cold
Little white monkey, staring at the sand
Well, maybe that monkey figured out something I couldn't understand
Well, I came upon a dancing crab, and I stopped to watch it shake
I said, "Dance for me just one more time
Before you hibernate and you come out a crab cake"
Hey there, little snapping turtle, snapping at a shell
Ah, there's mysteries inside, I know
But what they are I just can't tell for sure
And hey ya', little baby crow, you're looking kinda' mean
I think I outta spit before you start letting off your steam
For sure
And hey there, little sexy pig, you made it with a man
And you're got a little kid with hooves instead of hands
And oh, all the animals
All the animals
And hey there, little mockingbird, they sing about you in songs
Ah, where you been?
Have you broke a wing?
I haven't heard you in so long
And hey there, little albatross, swimming in the air
Ah c'mon, you know I can't fly
And I, I think we really outta play fair
And hey there, Mr. Happy Squid, you move so psychedelically
You hypnotize with your magic dance all the animals in the sea
For sure
And oh, all the animals
All the animals
And hey there, Mr. Morning Sun, what kind of creature are you?
I can't stare, but I know you're there
Goddamn, how I wish I knew
And hey there, Mrs. Lovely Moon, you're lonely and you're blue
It's kinda' strange, the way you change
But then again, we all do too
The lyrics to Devendra Banhart's song Little Yellow Spider invites listeners to pay close attention to and appreciate the mysterious and wondrous world of nature. Through observations of animals such as spiders, monkeys, crabs, snapping turtles, baby crows, albatrosses, and squids, Banhart expresses his sense of awe and wonder at the inexplicable and extraordinary aspects of the natural world that humans often overlook. Banhart muses over what he thinks the animals know that he doesn't and the mysterious behaviors and phenomena in the animal kingdom.
The song echoes the Romantic poets' preoccupation with nature and their belief that there is a spiritual connection between humans and the natural environment. In the last two stanzas, Banhart addresses celestial objects, the sun, and the moon, further emphasizing his fascination with the natural world. The lyrics convey a message about the importance of paying attention to the natural world, its magic, and its complexity.
Line by Line Meaning
Little yellow spider, laughing at the snow
A small spider is cheerfully mocking the winter weather
Ah, maybe that spider knows something that I don't know
'Cause I'm Goddamn cold
The singer considers that the spider's joy might come from understanding something he does not, as he's shivering from the cold
Little white monkey, staring at the sand
Well, maybe that monkey figured out something I couldn't understand
Who knows?
The singer speculates that the monkey might have gained some insight from observing sand, even though he does not know what it could be
Well, I came upon a dancing crab, and I stopped to watch it shake
I said, "Dance for me just one more time
Before you hibernate and you come out a crab cake"
The artist watches a crab dance and requests that it perform one final time before winter approaches and it becomes sustenance
Hey there, little snapping turtle, snapping at a shell
Ah, there's mysteries inside, I know
But what they are I just can't tell for sure
The artist observes a turtle attacking its own shell and acknowledges that some secrets might be contained within, but he cannot say for certain what they are
And hey ya', little baby crow, you're looking kinda' mean
I think I outta spit before you start letting off your steam
For sure
The singer encounters an angry young crow and decides it would be wise to move along before he becomes the target of its hostility
And hey there, little sexy pig, you made it with a man
And you're got a little kid with hooves instead of hands
And oh, all the animals
All the animals
The singer makes an observation about the strange offspring of a pig and a man, and reflects on the vast diversity of life on Earth
And hey there, little mockingbird, they sing about you in songs
Ah, where you been?
Have you broke a wing?
I haven't heard you in so long
The artist notes that mockingbirds are frequently mentioned in music, but has not seen or heard one around in a while, and wonders if one might have been injured
And hey there, little albatross, swimming in the air
Ah c'mon, you know I can't fly
And I, I think we really outta play fair
The artist observes an albatross soaring through the sky and humorously addresses it, acknowledging that he cannot match its skill and jokingly requesting that it come down to his level
And hey there, Mr. Happy Squid, you move so psychedelically
You hypnotize with your magic dance all the animals in the sea
For sure
The artist delights in the spectacle of a squid's movements, and imagines other sea creatures being similarly mesmorized by its dance
And hey there, Mr. Morning Sun, what kind of creature are you?
I can't stare, but I know you're there
Goddamn, how I wish I knew
The singer muses on the nature of the sun and expresses curiosity about its being, even though he cannot directly look at it
And hey there, Mrs. Lovely Moon, you're lonely and you're blue
It's kinda' strange, the way you change
But then again, we all do too
The artist reflects on the mutability of the moon and the changes it undergoes, finding it a curious and somewhat melancholy phenomenon that nevertheless resonates with human experience
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DEVENDRA BANHART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@secretfandom
The difference between butterflies and spiders is oh so much,
The spider's web is shiny and gentle to touch,
The butterfly's wings have colorful patterns, they float gently with the breeze,
The spider hangs and sways from branches in the trees,
The butterfly sips from flowers and an orange peel,
The spiders hunts and traps to find a meal,
The butterfly is pretty and loved and filled with pride,
The spider is hairy and looks for places to hide
@DhruvaDeva
Little yellow spider, laughing at the snow
Ah, maybe that spider knows something that I don't know
'Cause I'm Goddamn cold
Little white monkey, staring at the sand
Well, maybe that monkey figured out something I couldn't understand
Who knows?
Well, I came upon a dancing crab, and I stopped to watch it shake
I said, "Dance for me just one more time
Before you hibernate and you come out a crab cake"
Hey there, little snapping turtle, snapping at a shell
Ah, there's mysteries inside, I know
But what they are I just can't tell for sure
And hey ya', little baby crow, you're looking kinda' mean
I think I outta spit before you start letting off your steam
For sure
And hey there, little sexy pig, you made it with a man
And you're got a little kid with hooves instead of hands
And oh, all the animals
All the animals
And hey there, little mockingbird, they sing about you in songs
Ah, where you been?
Have you broke a wing?
I haven't heard you in so long
And hey there, little albatross, swimming in the air
Ah c'mon, you know I can't fly
And I, I think we really outta play fair
And hey there, Mr. Happy Squid, you move so psychedelically
You hypnotize with your magic dance all the animals in the sea
For sure
And oh, all the animals
All the animals
And hey there, Mr. Morning Sun, what kind of creature are you?
I can't stare, but I know you're there
Goddamn, how I wish I knew
And hey there, Mrs. Lovely Moon, you're lonely and you're blue
It's kinda' strange, the way you change
But then again, we all do too
@Jafarrification
2023 we sing this song to our little daughter after listening to devendra for many years. Truly some gems in his catalog. Early devendra is unbeatable.
@x-75hurricane65
First time hearing this bloke's music...2021...so thanks YT coz Devendra's sounds are very, very cool! Cheers from NZ.
@tirikalos7522
I got here randomly. I don't regret it at all i've got to say!
@Traumacode
I'm listening Devendra Banhart for the very first time right now - wow it's amazing.
@highheeledfagin
2022 👍🏽🖤💜
@LittleEagle7507
really nice ... what a sound, still beautifull harmony and warmth with this musician.... Underrated guy in musical Insdustry
@lukeaskew2568
love this record..first heared it at a funeral so it always has mixed emotions.
@TheWolfDogMoon
Cool song.
@natalik
such wonderful spirit.. such wonderful words!
@edensblues7688
Listening in 2008