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.
Come to Poppa
Willy DeVille Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you feel like it's gonna rain
And the moon ain't shining bright, yeah
And the stars, and the stars, and the stars won't shine for you tonight.
If life is hard to understand
And your love life gets out of hand
Just come to poppa, mmm.
Now if you need a satisfier
Let me be, let me be, let me be your pacifier
If you feel like a mule biting on a bit
Call my number - 5686969 - and I'll be your fix.
'Cause I've got your favorite toy
Guaranteed to bring you joy
Just come to poppa, come home to poppa.
If your soul is on fire
So let my love take you higher
Just come to poppa, come on to poppa, hey.
Just come to poppa now
Yeah, just come to your poppa now
Yeah, she come to poppa, Lord
Mmm she come to poppa, yeah.
She come to poppa, yeah
She come to poppa, Lord
Lord, she come to poppa.
The lyrics to Willy DeVille's song "Come to Poppa" are a call to a lover who is going through a tough time. The song starts off with a description of the weather - the sun is going behind the clouds, the moon and stars are not shining bright, and it feels like it's going to rain. The weather is a metaphor for the lover's state of mind - when life is hard to understand and their love life is out of hand. The chorus, "Just come to poppa," is Willy's offering of comfort and support to his lover. He wants to be their pacifier, their satisfier, their fix. Willy's love is guaranteed to bring joy and take the lover higher.
The lyrics are sensual and suggest that Willy's lover has some unfulfilled desires that he can satisfy. He talks about having their favorite toy and offers it to them as a way to bring joy. The specific instructions to "call my number - 5686969" adds to the intimacy of the song, making it a direct invitation to his lover. Willy's love is powerful enough to put out the soul on fire, taking the lover higher. The repetition of "She come to poppa, Lord" drives home the point that the call has been answered and Willy's lover has come to him.
Line by Line Meaning
When the sun goes behind the clouds
When things get dark and gloomy
And you feel like it's gonna rain
When you feel like something bad is going to happen
And the moon ain't shining bright, yeah
When everything seems a little off-kilter
And the stars, and the stars, and the stars won't shine for you tonight.
When nothing seems to be going right for you
If life is hard to understand
If you're feeling confused and lost
And your love life gets out of hand
If your romantic relationships are causing stress
Just come to poppa, mmm.
Come to me, let me help you
Now if you need a satisfier
If you need someone to make you feel good
Let me be, let me be, let me be your pacifier
Let me soothe you, calm you down
If you feel like a mule biting on a bit
If you feel frustrated and stuck
Call my number - 5686969 - and I'll be your fix.
Call me and I'll make it better
'Cause I've got your favorite toy
I know what makes you happy
Guaranteed to bring you joy
And I can make you feel better
Just come to poppa, come home to poppa.
Just come to me, let me welcome you home
If your soul is on fire
If you feel like your spirit is burning
So let my love take you higher
Let me lift you up, make you feel better
Just come to poppa, come on to poppa, hey.
Just come to me and I'll make it all better
Just come to poppa now
Come to me right now
Yeah, just come to your poppa now
Come to me, your father figure
Yeah, she come to poppa, Lord
She came to me for help
Mmm she come to poppa, yeah.
And I was there to provide it
She come to poppa, yeah
She knew I could make things better for her
She come to poppa, Lord
And she trusted me to help her
Contributed by Declan C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
conchi dominguez
Tú voz es... Incomparable!! 🎶💃🏼😎
conchi dominguez
Bravo Willy 💜
Dryadsoul
This is one of those songs that once done at this level no one else owns it. Bob Seger Owned this song till Willy!
Kate Eseltine
Love this
starsandstrikes212
WILLY DOES A GREAT JOB WITH THIS SONG, MUCH LIKE H IS COVER OF "DADDY ROLLIN STONE "ON THE TRIBUTE TO OTIS BLACKWELL CD.A LOT OF PEOPLES TRYED THERE VERSION OF DADDY ROLLIN STONE, WILLY'S VERSION HAD THE MOST BALLS.
Jutta Winkler
Super, einmalig, fantastisch!!!!
o0sunsi0o
Check out Etta James version--it's on par with this imho :)