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.

Red Lagoon Whistling
Devendra Banhart Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's one way to whistle
Whistle while you work
And I know
I'm the plateau
Just one way to whistle
It's too soon
My love the red lagoon

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Devendra Banhart's song, Red Lagoon Whistling, are poetic and open to interpretation. The opening lines "there's one way to whistle, whistle while you work" allude to the idea of finding joy in even the most mundane tasks by whistling a tune. The next line, "and I know I'm the plateau," can be interpreted as a metaphor for feeling stuck or stagnant in life. The singer may feel like they are no longer growing or making progress, but rather stuck on a plateau. The repetition of "just one way to whistle" implies that there is only one way to find happiness or contentment, and the line "it's too soon, my love the red lagoon" suggests that the singer is not ready to fully embrace this idea. The red lagoon may symbolize something mysterious or dangerous, and the singer is cautious about diving in too soon.

One interesting fact about this song is that it was featured on the hit TV show, Grey's Anatomy. The show's music supervisor, Alexandra Patsavas, is well-known for curating a soundtrack that features up-and-coming artists like Devendra Banhart. Another interesting fact is that the song's music video features a cameo from fashion designer Rick Owens, who is a close friend of Banhart's. The video was directed by Isaiah Seret, who also directed videos for artists like MGMT and Norah Jones. Red Lagoon Whistling is from Banhart's album, "Mala," which was named after his wife, Ana Kras. Banhart has stated in interviews that the album was influenced by his relationship with Kras.

Line by Line Meaning

There's one way to whistle
There is only one way of doing things sometimes

Whistle while you work
Keep yourself cheerful and motivated while doing something

And I know
I'm aware

I'm the plateau
I'm in a stable position but not progressing or developing further

Just one way to whistle
Sometimes we have only one option or one way of doing things

It's too soon
Things are not ready or developed enough yet

My love, the red lagoon
Refers to an exotic location or person, possibly representing a longing for something or someone unattainable

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS