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.
Shabop Shalom
Devendra Banhart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My Shabop Shalom Baby, won't you Shabop Shalom with me, under the old banana tree?
My sweet telavivian lambs bread, my heart can act as an emollient and you'll never, ever say, "Get Bent!" Noooo, no, no!
Todamamatodamama
Todamamatodamama da da da da
All the signals that I'm sendin I'll keep sending them and on the constanttillionth time, I'll make you mine (Yes, I swear I will)
Your sweet supple breasts are golden ghettos, soft statues in stilettos. Two wise men instead of three.
Whenever I'm in a foul mood, I gotta' see you in your Talmud and so happy it makes me, you wanna know who, who wrote the Book of Job? She wants to know, "Who, who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls?
Well I did, I did. Yes.
Yes, I did, I did.
I did, I did. Mmmhmm.
I did, I did.
Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia can be a fun ordeal. I swear by Solomon's seal.
Honey, when it comes to love, there's a fire in the deep end of my heart, givin' me the Heebie-Jeebies. Ya see, I know the land of wood and waters, merely fodder for loves slaughter. And darling, I've watched you cake-walk to the Immaculate Conception for far too long.
I'm Livicated to you, yes.
Ahava Raba
Ahava Raba for you
We're in Heaven
We're in Heaven, it's true.
I'm ascending
I'm ascending tonight with you
The song "Shabop Shalom" is a whimsical love song that tells the story of a young man falling in love with a rabbi's daughter. The story begins on a lazy Sunday afternoon, where the young man is lying on the grass in Halfway Tree between Spanish Town, enjoying the scent of hibiscus in the air. He sees the rabbi's daughter walking, and is immediately drawn to her soft and delicate movements, and her luminous lips. They make eye contact and feel an instant connection. The lyrics mention that they could be brought together by a frenectomy and some words of love, which is a reference to a surgical procedure that removes the frenulum, a piece of tissue in the mouth.
The chorus repeats the phrase "My Shabop Shalom Baby, won't you Shabop Shalom with me, under the old banana tree?" The term "Shabop Shalom" is a playful combination of "Shabbat Shalom," a common Hebrew greeting meaning "peaceful Sabbath," and the word "bop," which is slang for dance or move to music. The lyrics continue to paint a picture of the couple's love story, including references to Tel Avivian lambs bread, the Book of Job, and the Immaculate Conception.
The song's lyrics are quite poetic and playful, but also give a nod to Jewish culture and customs. The use of Hebrew phrases and allusions to Jewish practices like the Bris (circumcision) and the Talmud show a connection to the singer's Jewish heritage. The song also blends musical styles, with elements of reggae, folk, and traditional Jewish music.
Line by Line Meaning
Our story beings on a Sunday afternoon, just between Halfway Tree and Spanish Town, where a young boy, not yet the cock o'the walk that he would soon become, was lying on the grass and taking in the sweet and sensuous scent of Hibiscus that languidly lilted along the summer breeze.
The story tells about a young boy who was enjoying the sweet scent of Hibiscus on a Sunday afternoon. He was lying on the grass between Halfway Tree and Spanish Town, not yet having achieved the prestige he would later have.
It was at this precise moment that he saw her.
He saw the girl at this moment.
Her walk was soft and delicate, with a thaumaturgical touch that only a rabbi's daughter could have.
The girl's walk was soft and delicate like that of a Rabbi's daughter, giving her a magical aura.
Before their eyes had even met, her luminous lips had already lured him in.
The boy was attracted to the girl's lips even before they had made eye contact.
Salvation winked with the promise of a Bris held at pinnacle and a congregation of sage's bunny hopping and chicken dancing to Yiddish Mento.
The boy had the hope of salvation and a chance to attend a Bris (Jewish circumcision ceremony) with the congregation who danced to Yiddish Mento.
Then their eyes linked, an aeon blinked, Amharic vows were scryed upon their hearts.
The moment their eyes met, they made a deep connection in which they both said their marital vows in their hearts.
Just to think, this could be with the frenectomy and a few words of love...
This connection could be made with the removal of frenulum and a few loving words.
My Shabop Shalom Baby, won't you Shabop Shalom with me, under the old banana tree?
The boy invites the girl to dance with him under the old banana tree and enjoy Shabop Shalom with him.
My sweet telavivian lambs bread, my heart can act as an emollient and you'll never, ever say, "Get Bent!" Noooo, no, no!
The boy sweetly refers to the girl as his sweet telavivian lambs bread and promises to make her happy.
All the signals that I'm sendin I'll keep sending them and on the constanttillionth time, I'll make you mine (Yes, I swear I will)
The boy promises to keep sending signals to make the girl his and swears to do it on the constant trillionth time.
Your sweet supple breasts are golden ghettos, soft statues in stilettos. Two wise men instead of three.
The boy refers to the girl's breasts as golden ghettos and compares her to two wise men instead of three, admiring her beauty.
Whenever I'm in a foul mood, I gotta' see you in your Talmud and so happy it makes me, you wanna know who, who wrote the Book of Job? She wants to know, "Who, who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls?
The boy is happy whenever he sees the girl reading Talmud and wonders about who wrote the Book of Job and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Well I did, I did. Yes.
Yes, I did, I did.
I did, I did. Mmmhmm.
I did, I did.
The boy brags that he wrote the said books.
Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia can be a fun ordeal. I swear by Solomon's seal.
The boy states that Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia can be a fun ordeal and swears by Solomon's seal.
Honey, when it comes to love, there's a fire in the deep end of my heart, givin' me the Heebie-Jeebies.
The boy claims to have a fire of love within his heart giving him the Heebie-Jeebies.
Ya see, I know the land of wood and waters, merely fodder for loves slaughter.
The boy states that he has knowledge of the land of wood and waters, which is merely fodder for love's slaughter.
And darling, I've watched you cake-walk to the Immaculate Conception for far too long.
The boy claims to have watched the girl getting to the Immaculate Conception for far too long.
I'm Livicated to you, yes.
Ahava Raba
Ahava Raba for you
We're in Heaven
We're in Heaven, it's true.
I'm ascending
I'm ascending tonight with you
The boy is dedicated to the girl, and they claim to be in heaven and ascending together tonight.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DEVENDRA BANHART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Thais Nicols
on Mi Negrita
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