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.

The Charles C. Leary
Devendra Banhart Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I lost the gloves that my mother gave to me
While on my ways through the make believe sea
And I lost the rings that my lover gave to me
While on my ways to the red salt sea

And I lost my ways and my happy pen ???
And ended up where I still can't say but
I lost my baby red pen on the way

And I lost my friend but that couldn't be

I lost the friend who sang with me
I lost my son but that couldn't be
I lost the son who sat on my knees
And I lost my man but that couldn't be

I lost the one who I let inside me
And I lost my friend that my love and I shared
While on my ways to the make believe care

And I lost the tunes that stuck to my ears
While on my ways to the make believe hears
And I saw saltina she sank to the sea
The only person left on the island was me

And I love the man who took care of me
He owns the ship, the charles c. leary

Yes I love the man who took care of me
He sails the world on the charles c. leary

Overall Meaning

Devendra Banhart's "The Charles C. Leary" is a melancholic ballad that talks about loss and abandonment. The song begins with the singer pondering over the things he has lost on his journey through the "make-believe sea" and "red salt sea." He talks about losing the gloves that his mother gave him and the rings that his lover gave him. He appears to have lost his way too, and possibly his writing utensils, pen(s). The singer confesses to have lost his son, his friend who sang with him, and even the man he loved. It is a sad song that explores the pain of losing people and things that we hold dear.

The chorus opens up with the singer finding some respite in the man who took care of him, the owner of the ship Charles C. Leary. The song suggests that while everything else in the singer's life seems to have disappeared, the presence of the man and his ship is the only thing that brings him comfort.

The song appears to reflect Devendra Banhart's own feelings of loss, and the themes explored in it have resonated with many listeners. "The Charles C. Leary" is a heartfelt and touching ballad that showcases Banhart's knack for storytelling.

Line by Line Meaning

I lost the gloves that my mother gave to me
I lost something precious that belonged to my mother

While on my ways through the make believe sea
I lost it while navigating through a world of imagination

And I lost the rings that my lover gave to me
I lost something that held deep emotional significance to my romantic partner

While on my ways to the red salt sea
I lost it while trying to achieve something challenging and possibly dangerous

And I lost my ways and my happy pen ???
I lost my direction and a tool that brought me joy and creativity

And ended up where I still can't say but
I ended up somewhere unknown and unfamiliar

I lost my baby red pen on the way
I lost a cherished writing instrument

And I lost my friend but that couldn't be
I lost a close companion, but it felt impossible to have done so

I lost the friend who sang with me
I lost someone with whom I shared an artistic passion

I lost my son but that couldn't be
I experienced the trauma of losing a child

I lost the son who sat on my knees
I lost the intimacy and love of a son who used to sit on my lap

And I lost my man but that couldn't be
I lost a partner with whom I was deeply in love

I lost the one who I let inside me
I lost someone who I allowed to see my innermost thoughts and emotions

And I lost my friend that my love and I shared
My romantic partner and I lost a mutual friend

While on my ways to the make believe care
These losses happened while I was seeking solace in a fictional world

And I lost the tunes that stuck to my ears
I forgot the melodies that had once touched my heart

While on my ways to the make believe hears
All of these losses occurred as I journeyed through a realm of fantasy and imagination

And I saw saltina she sank to the sea
I witnessed someone or something sink beneath the waves

The only person left on the island was me
I am the sole survivor, left with all of my losses

And I love the man who took care of me
Even in the midst of all this pain, I have love for the person who has been there to help me

He owns the ship, the charles c. leary
This person has a means of escaping this world of hurt and tragedy

Yes I love the man who took care of me
I cannot help but feel affection and gratitude for the person who has shown me kindness and support

He sails the world on the charles c. leary
This person has a ship that allows them to travel around the world, free from the burdens that I cannot escape

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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