Willy DeVille (born William Paul Borsey Jr. in Stamford, Connecticut, on Au… Read Full Bio ↴Willy DeVille (born William Paul Borsey Jr. in Stamford, Connecticut, on August 25, 1950; died in New York City on August 6, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter of Basque, Pequot, and Irish descent. During his thirty-five year career, first with his band Mink DeVille (1974–1986) and later on his own, Deville created original songs rooted in various American musical styles. He worked with collaborators from across the spectrum of contemporary music, including Jack Nitzsche, Doc Pomus, Dr. John, Mark Knopfler, Allen Toussaint, and Eddie Bo. A wide range of styles, including latin rhythms, blues riffs, doo-wop, Cajun music, strains of French cabaret, and echoes of early-1960s uptown soul, can be heard in DeVille's work.

As a teenager, DeVille had a band named Billy and the Kids. He moved to London looking to form a band, but was unsuccessful in finding like-minded musicians. Eventually he landed in San Francisco where he formed a band with bassist Ruben Siguenza and drummer Tom "Manfred" Allen. The band played under the names Billy DeSade & the Marquis and the Lazy Eights before settling on the name Mink DeVille. Later, DeVille took the band to New York City, where they helped to pioneer punk rock music and were one of the original house bands at CBGB, the New York nighclub where punk rock music was born in the mid-1970s.

The typical DeVille song -- if any of his songs can be called "typical" -- is filled with romantic conviction and yearning. Latin rhythms, Blues riffs, and strains of country music can be heard in DeVille songs. Spanish Stroll was a hit in the U.S. and the UK in 1978; Storybook Love (nominated for an Academy Award in 1987) is the theme song of the movie The Princess Bride.

DeVille suffered from drug addiction for many years, which stifled his career. Among fellow musicians and songwriters, he was widely respected. Songwriter Doc Pomus said about Deville, "He knows the truth of a city street and the courage in a ghetto love song."

DeVille died of pancreatic cancer during the night of August 6, 2009 in a New York hospital.

DeVille had homes in New Orleans and Mississippi.

Bamboo Road
Willy DeVille Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I wake up in the morning
And I'll work 'till night
My skin has turned brown
From that sun so bright
All night I'm tossing and turning
'Cause my dreams are so strong
And my hands they callous
'Cause my working day's too long

Up on Bamboo Road
Up on Bamboo Road
Yes you're sweeter than a sugar cane
Up on Bamboo Road

We walk out to the cane fields
All thirty-five men
At 12 o'clock they give us water
And we stagger back again
4 o'clock the sun gets higher
I hear that screen door slam
See you in the big house kitchen window
From the cane fields I'm in

Up on Bamboo Road
Up on Bamboo Road
Yes you're sweeter than a sugar cane
Sweeter than that sugar cane
Sweeter than sugar cane
Up on Bamboo Road

I want to hold you close cher
I can only see you when I can
All day I cut that pure cane sugar
But I'm still a starving man

Up on Bamboo Road
Up on Bamboo Road
Yes you're sweeter than a sugar cane
Sweeter than the sugar cane

Sweeter than the sugar cane
Up on Bamboo Road

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of “Bamboo Road” by Willy DeVille carry a strong message about the harsh realities of working in a sugar cane field. The song tells the story of a laborer who wakes up early in the morning and works hard until the night, exposed to a strong sun that has turned his skin brown. He dreams of a better life, but his working days are too long and his hands are calloused. Despite this, the laborer’s spirit remains unbroken, and he keeps pushing through these tough times.

The laborer's life is painted in vivid details of his toil, especially when he and his fellow thirty-five men walk out to the cane fields, where they toil all day long for a little wage. The only time they take a break is when they receive water from their employer. The harshness of their working conditions is illustrated by the weariness and exhaustion that is conveyed in the lyrics. The laborer continues to dream of his loved one, but he can only see her when his work allows him too. Although he is proud of his work, the image of the sugar cane has been transformed in his eyes to that of the sweet love he so longs for.

Overall, the song is a tribute to the strength, determination, and resilience of laborers worldwide. It captures their spirit and celebrates their hard work, reminding the listener of the sacrifices that are made by those who work in tough, unrelenting conditions every day.

Line by Line Meaning

I wake up in the morning
I start my day early

And I'll work 'till night
And I work very hard until late into the night

My skin has turned brown
My skin has become darker due to the sun

From that sun so bright
From being exposed to the strong sunlight

All night I'm tossing and turning
I have trouble sleeping at night

'Cause my dreams are so strong
Because my aspirations are very strong

And my hands they callous
My hands have become hardened and rough

'Cause my working day's too long
Because I work long hours

Up on Bamboo Road
On the plantation named Bamboo Road

Yes you're sweeter than a sugar cane
You are very sweet like the sugar cane on the plantation

We walk out to the cane fields
We go to the fields where the sugar cane is grown