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.

Lover
Devendra Banhart Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus]
Well I-I, I wanna be your lover
I wanna be your man
I want you to understand

And I-I, I wanna open your door
And love you 'til you're sore
That works for, wait a minute, wait a minute!

Yeah

I wanna be your thing, your anything your everything oh yeah

And I-I, I wanna fill your cup (cup cup cup)
Fill it up, fill it up to the brim with love
That works for, wait a minute, wait a minute!

You'll never have to ask
I'll give you my sweet grass
I'm gonna mesmerize your ass
Just give me my first chance, it's gonna be the last
I'm gonna make you wanna stay

I-I I wanna be your cow
Give you all the milk around town
Let me see, let me see you drink it down
I-I, I wanna be the pear tree
I want you to climb all over me
Try my fruit and taste my seed

Climb right on me, lay it on me
C-climb right on me, l-lay it on me!

Just let my do my thing
Until you start to sing
I'm going down all you night long
I'm gonna build a bond
I'm pullin' out my wand
Feels so right it can't be wrong!

Yeah!

[Chorus]

And I-I, I wanna be you lover baby
I wanna be your girl
Blow a kiss and change the world, yeah

We're gonna make it through
You got me and I got you
Your bleedin' heart's at my command
If you don't love me to

Then bein' friends will do
Long as you let me in your bed!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Devendra Banhart's "Lover" express the singer's deep desire to be his lover's everything. The chorus sets the tone, expressing the singer's passionate need to be his lover's lover, his man, all-encompassing, and everything. He wants to open her door, fill her cup to the brim with love, mesmerize her, and make her wanna stay. The lyrics take on a sexual tone, with the singer expressing his desire to be his lover's cow, giving her all the milk around town, and being her pear tree for her to climb all over him, trying his fruit and tasting his seed. He wants to build a bond, pull out his wand, and make her sing, claiming it feels so right, it can't be wrong.

The lyrics present an unconventional love, unashamed to express a deep desire for eroticism and intimacy. The singer doesn't shy away from expressing his sexual prowess, and the lyrics are peppered with metaphors and innuendos. Yet, it also reveals a deep-seated yearning for emotional connection, for his lover's bleeding heart to be at his command, and for her to love him as he loves her. The lyrics, thus, capture the multifaceted and complex nature of love, physical and emotional, yearning and fulfillment.

Line by Line Meaning

Well I-I, I wanna be your lover
I desire to be your romantic partner, your lover

I wanna be your man
I want to be the man in your life who loves and supports you, who you can rely on

I want you to understand
I want you to comprehend the depth of my feelings and intentions

And I-I, I wanna open your door
I want to be considerate and respectful by opening your door for you

And love you 'til you're sore
I want to love you and care for you until you feel totally satisfied and fulfilled

That works for, wait a minute, wait a minute!
I'm glad this plan appeals to you, just hold on for a moment

Yeah
An emphatic affirmation

I wanna be your thing, your anything your everything oh yeah
I want to be all those things for you and more, whatever you need or want me to be

And I-I, I wanna fill your cup (cup cup cup)
I wish to give you all the love and affection you desire

Fill it up, fill it up to the brim with love
Let me show you just how much love I can give, enough to overflow your metaphorical cup

That works for, wait a minute, wait a minute!
If that's alright with you, let's proceed cautiously for a moment

You'll never have to ask
I promise to always know what you need and give it to you willingly and eagerly

I'll give you my sweet grass
I am willing to share my most precious possessions with you, to give you everything I have to offer

I'm gonna mesmerize your ass
I plan to charm and captivate you, to draw you into my world and make you feel incredible

Just give me my first chance, it's gonna be the last
All I need is one opportunity to prove my devotion to you, and you'll never want anyone else

I'm gonna make you wanna stay
I am confident that my love and affection will make you want to remain committed to me

I-I I wanna be your cow
I want to give you all the nourishment and sustenance you need, just like a cow provides milk

Give you all the milk around town
I am willing to give you everything that you would ever need or ever want.

Let me see, let me see you drink it down
I want to watch as you enjoy and take in everything I have to offer

I-I, I wanna be the pear tree
I want to provide a place for you to grow and flourish, like a pear tree that bears fruit

I want you to climb all over me
I want you to depend on me and use me to elevate you to new heights

Try my fruit and taste my seed
Explore all the aspects of my love and find true pleasure and satisfaction

Climb right on me, lay it on me
Use me as a stepping stone to greater things, rely on me completely

C-climb right on me, l-lay it on me!
Emphasizing how willing and eager I am to be used, to provide whatever support and love you need

Just let my do my thing
Trust in my abilities and my love, and let me handle everything for you

Until you start to sing
I hope to please you so thoroughly that you can't help but sing out in joy and satisfaction

I'm going down all you night long
I'm prepared to love and care for you with great patience and devotion, for as long as you desire

I'm gonna build a bond
I hope to form a lasting and meaningful connection with you that will endure over time

I'm pullin' out my wand
I'm willing to use all my magical abilities and powers to make you feel amazing

Feels so right it can't be wrong!
I am so certain that our love and commitment to each other is the right thing to do, and that it cannot be a mistake

And I-I, I wanna be you lover baby
I desire to be your affectionate and loving partner

I wanna be your girl
I want to be the one who makes you feel fulfilled and satisfied, who provides all the love and support you need

Blow a kiss and change the world, yeah
I believe that our love and connection can lead to great things, and that we can make a real difference in the world

We're gonna make it through
I am confident that our relationship and commitment to each other can endure any challenge or obstacle

You got me and I got you
I believe in our ability to support and love each other through anything that comes our way

Your bleedin' heart's at my command
I acknowledge the depth of your emotions and feelings, and I promise to treat them with great care and respect

If you don't love me to
If you feel like you are unable to reciprocate my love and affection

Then bein' friends will do
I am willing to accept a platonic friendship with you, if that is all that you can offer

Long as you let me in your bed!
But I still hope that I can be an important and intimate part of your life, even if it's not in a romantic sense

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DEVENDRA BANHART

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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