Michigan State
Devendra Banhart Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

My friend has my favorite teeth
They bend backwards when she breathes
And it whistles
And sweetness is all sweetness was
Bees are black eyed birds that buzz
And my love has my favorite ears
They lean forwards when she hears
Well evil is all evil was
Birds are blue-eyed knees that buzz

And I said oh Michigan, Michigan state
How I'd love to live in you
Oh I've never been to Michigan state
Still I'd wanna live in you

And you can't talk without your tongue
Don't try and drown without your lungs son
Well my snail has my favorite slow
The shell helps the snail still the skin lays low
And if my snail has my favorite slow
Then my cold has my favorite snow
But if my snail's cold and comes to a halt
Then my sea has my favorite salt
The salt keeps the sea from feeling sweet
And my toes have my favorite feet
And if I sweat salt
And the earth sweats heat

Oh Michigan, Michigan state
How I'd love to live in you
I've never been to Michigan state




Still I'd want to live in you
Michigan state state state state

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Michigan State" by Devendra Banhart are open to interpretation, but they have a dream-like quality that allows the listener to form their own narrative. In essence, the lyrics are a stream of consciousness poem that celebrates various body parts of the singer's loved ones and uses metaphors to evoke emotions and sensations. The opening lines, "My friend has my favorite teeth, They bend backwards when she breathes," set the tone, as Banhart turns a physical characteristic into a playful image. The line "And sweetness is all sweetness was" can be interpreted as an acknowledgment of the transience of pleasure, while the line "Birds are blue-eyed knees that buzz" is an example of Banhart's fondness for surrealism and wordplay.


As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the lyrics are not about Michigan State in the literal sense, but rather a longing for a place that represents a feeling of security and contentment. The refrain "Oh Michigan, Michigan state, How I'd love to live in you, I've never been to Michigan state, Still I'd want to live in you" is repeated throughout the song as a mantra that reflects the singer's desire for a place where he can feel at home. The lyrics also touch on the themes of nature and the environment, with references to bees, birds, snails, and salt.


Overall, "Michigan State" is a whimsical and poetic song that invites the listener to interpret its meaning in their own way. It celebrates the joys of being alive, the beauty of the natural world, and the longing for a place to call home.


Line by Line Meaning

My friend has my favorite teeth
I admire my friend's unique teeth that bend backwards when she breathes


And it whistles
The sound produced by my friend's teeth is like a whistle


And sweetness is all sweetness was
Sweet things are simply meant to be enjoyed for their taste


Bees are black eyed birds that buzz
Bees are small insects that make a buzzing sound and have dark-colored eyes


And my love has my favorite ears
I appreciate how my lover's ears lean forwards when she hears something interesting


They lean forwards when she hears
My lover's ears show how attentive she is when listening to others


Well evil is all evil was
Any form of evil has always been wickedness


Birds are blue-eyed knees that buzz
Birds are creatures with blue eyes that make a buzzing noise, especially when they fly


And I said oh Michigan, Michigan state
I express my fondness for Michigan state by saying its name


How I'd love to live in you
It would be great to reside in Michigan state


Oh I've never been to Michigan state
I have yet to visit Michigan state


Still I'd wanna live in you
Despite not having visited, I desire to stay in Michigan state


And you can't talk without your tongue
The tongue is essential in speech, one can't communicate without it


Don't try and drown without your lungs son
It is impossible to drown in water without one's lungs


Well my snail has my favorite slow
I appreciate how slow my snail moves


The shell helps the snail still the skin lays low
The shell protects and guides the snail as it moves with its soft body intact


And if my snail has my favorite slow
Assuming my snail's speed remains constant


Then my cold has my favorite snow
I prefer the type of snow that's created in cold weather


But if my snail's cold and comes to a halt
In case my snail gets too cold and stops moving


Then my sea has my favorite salt
I appreciate the type of salt that comes from the ocean


The salt keeps the sea from feeling sweet
The salt present in the water prevents it from being too sweet


And my toes have my favorite feet
I find my own toes most appealing


And if I sweat salt
When I perspire, salt is one of the substances that come out


And the earth sweats heat
The earth releases heat to warm up the environment


Michigan state state state state
A playful repetition of the state's name




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Devendra Banhart

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Rafael

My friend has my favorite teeth
They bend backwards when she breathes
And it whistles
And sweetness is all sweetness was
Bees are blackeyed birds that buzz
And my love has my favorite ears
They lean forwards when she hears
Well evil is all evil was
Birds are blue-eyed knees that buzz

And i said oh michigan, michigan state
How i'd love to live in you
Oh i've never been to michigan state
Still i'd wanna live in you

And you can't talk without your tongue
Don't try and drown without your lungs son
Well my snail has my favorite slow
The shell helps the snail still the skin lays low
And if my snail has my favorite slow
Then my cold has my favorite snow
But if my snail's cold and comes to a halt
Then my sea has my favorite salt
The salt keeps the sea from feeling sweet
And my toes have my favorite feet
And if i sweat salt
And the earth sweats heat

Oh michigan, michigan state
How i'd love to live in you
I've never been to michigan state
Still i'd want to live in you
Michigan state state state state

Carl Rosati

This is the track that brought me to Devendra so many years ago now, whilst wandering the abbey at Whitby (UK). Cripple Crow was the last album I enjoyed unfortunately

Iris Boswell

Same

Natan Moraes

Tá faltando energia, mas tá bom.
Melhor q eu!!😂😂

Brooke

first devendra banhart song i ever heard. oh my heart.

Slim Aldo

and 12 years later...

E. B. Okung

Ah ah ah!

Anna Black

lol

Aditya Khanna

oh well then... all by myself here..

Chad Neu

I'll join you.

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