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 Thumbs...
Devendra Banhart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I were more like city girls
If I were more like fancy girls
And thanks little bee
Think of me
Here's four photographs
Just for laughs
Yes she sings
My miss pitchfork pinch
Yes she pinch
My miss sidewalk slips
Makes a mess
Tickle flesh
When the night doesn't want you
And the sounds all surround you
And the steps to the temple
Are the breasts made of puddles
And if I were more like city girls
If I were more like fancy girls
And all my thumbs touch too much
The lyrics of Devendra Banhart's song The Thumbs explore the singer's desire to be more like the city girls and fancy girls, appreciating their sophistication and refined mannerisms. The repetition of the line "If I were more like city girls" and "If I were more like fancy girls" emphasizes his longing to have their grace and poise. However, the thank you to the little bee offers a moment of pause in his musings, possibly indicating that he recognizes the innate beauty and value in the natural world around him.
The next section of the song consists of fragmented images and experiences, all tied together through the common theme of physical sensations. The four photographs and the sinking miss shipwreck suggest that there is something sad or regretful about the past memories being revisited. The miss pitchfork pinch and miss sidewalk slips are more physical in nature, implying a sense of discomfort or unease. However, the miss pitchfork pinch also contains a sense of playfulness with the use of alliteration, adding a touch of whimsy to the song.
The final stanza carries a surreal quality, with the steps to the temple being compared to breasts made of puddles. The imagery suggests a dreamlike state or a symbolic representation of the singer's desires. The line "And all my thumbs touch too much" is likely a reference to the inability to achieve the elegant restraint of the city and fancy girls, further emphasizing the theme of longing and lack.
Line by Line Meaning
If I were more like city girls
If I were more like the girls who live in the city
If I were more like city girls
If I acted more like the girls who live in the city
If I were more like fancy girls
If I were more like the girls who are fancy and upscale
And thanks little bee
I appreciate your help, little bee
Think of me
Imagine me
Here's four photographs
I have four pictures to show you
Just for laughs
Just for fun and entertainment
My miss shipwreck sinks
My metaphorical representation of a beautiful woman's downfall
Yes she sings
Even in her misery, she sings
My miss pitchfork pinch
My symbol of an unexpected, sharp pain
Yes she pinch
She felt the pain of the pitchfork
My miss sidewalk slips
My image of a woman falling on a slippery pavement
Makes a mess
Creates chaos and confusion
Tickle flesh
Movement and sensation on the skin
When the night doesn't want you
When the darkness of the night doesn't welcome you
And the sounds all surround you
And the noises and sounds overwhelm you
And the steps to the temple
The pathway to enlightenment
Are the breasts made of puddles
Metaphorical representation of the pathway being made up of something seemingly insignificant
And if I were more like city girls
If I were more similar to the girls who live in the city
If I were more like fancy girls
If I were fancier and more upscale like some girls
And all my thumbs touch too much
Suggesting physical clumsiness or maybe sexual promiscuity
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Devendra Banhart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Thais Nicols
on Mi Negrita
<3