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.
Heart and Soul
Willy DeVille Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There you are dressed so fine standing next to me
Just you and me in a church of old standing hand in hand.
And a choir sings Ave Maria
I look into your eyes, they say a million things
Cathedral bells they start to ring
And you are mine, yes you are mine
Forever and ever (heart and soul)
Forever and ever (heart and soul)
Forever and ever (heart and soul).
You promised me with just a kiss in a slow embrace
You promised me like I promise you : 'Stand by me I'll stand by you'
I wanna hold you close, say soft and low that you're all I need.
And a choir sings Ave Maria
I look into your eyes, they say a million things
Cathedral bells they start to ring
And you are mine, yes you are mine
You are mine.
Forever and ever, heart and soul
Forever and ever, heart and soul
Forever and ever, heart and soul.
If I only kissed you once
And never really possessed your love
I shurely would go mad
And when a mad man roams the street
A sad sight for his friends to see
He's a broken man from his broken dreams.
Every night I have the same recurring dream
There you are dressed so fine standing next to me.
Just you and me in a church of old standing hand in hand.
And a choir sings Ave Maria
I look into your eyes, they say a million things
Cathedral bells they start to ring
And you are mine, yes you are mine, yes you are mine.
Forever and ever, heart and soul
Forever and ever, heart and soul
Forever and ever, heart and soul.
Forever and ever (heart and soul).
The song "Heart and Soul" by Willy DeVille is a romantic ballad that speaks of a recurring dream that the singer has every night. In this dream, he finds himself in an old church, dressed in his finest clothes, holding hands with his beloved. They exchange vows, and the choir sings Ave Maria while the cathedral bells ring in the background. The dream feels so real to him that he is convinced that his love is forever his. The lyrics are symbolic of the power of love and how it can make a person feel cherished and pursued.
The song speaks of promises made and the importance of keeping them. The singer speaks of how he was promised the love of his life, and he in turn promises her that he will stand by her all his life. The line, "I wanna hold you close, say soft and low that you're all I need," emphasizes his deep feelings for her. The song ends on a note of longing and how a person can feel broken without the love of their life. The lyrics also speak about the power of dreams, and how they can offer respite and solace from everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
Every night I have the same recurring dream
The singer has a dream that repeats every night
There you are dressed so fine standing next to me
In the dream, the singer sees the person they desire standing next to them, dressed elegantly
Just you and me in a church of old standing hand in hand.
The two are alone in an old church, holding hands
And a choir sings Ave Maria
In the dream, a choir sings 'Ave Maria'
I look into your eyes, they say a million things
The singer sees countless emotions in the person's eyes
Cathedral bells they start to ring
The bells in the church tower begin to ring
And you are mine, yes you are mine
The person in the dream belongs to the singer
You are mine.
Reiterating the ownership of the person in the dream
Forever and ever (heart and soul)
The singer wants to be with the person in the dream forever
Forever and ever (heart and soul)
Forever and ever (heart and soul).
You promised me with just a kiss in a slow embrace
The person in the dream made a promise with a kiss and a slow embrace
You promised me like I promise you: 'Stand by me I'll stand by you'
The promise made by the person in the dream is that they will stand by the singer
I wanna hold you close, say soft and low that you're all I need.
The singer wants to hold the person in the dream and tell them that they are all they need
If I only kissed you once
The singer never had the chance to kiss the person in real life
And never really possessed your love
The singer never experienced the person's love
I surely would go mad
The singer would go crazy if they never had the chance to experience the person's love
And when a mad man roams the street
The imagery of a madman roaming the streets is used to highlight the singer's desperation
A sad sight for his friends to see
The singer's situation would be a pitiful one for their friends to witness
He's a broken man from his broken dreams.
The singer is broken because they can only experience the person of their dreams in their dreams
Contributed by Levi A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ingley5220
Kenne keinen, dessen Stimme tiefer beruehrt, es ist die Stimme seiner Seele. Er bleibt unerreicht.Wer kann sich mit ihm vergleichen? Niemand,
@jakobsjoachim1803
Höre deine Musik immer noch jeden Tag, du fehlst uns allen.
@ingley5220
Er fehlt!!!
@IngoFriedrich
Einer der ganzen Großen!
@ingley5220
Finde, er ist der allergrößte!!!😊
@gypsysallylamarthy372
This song is in so much versions !! I really like them all !!
So much beautiful words !! Beautiful Emotions !! The Amazing band !!! The lovely voices of the Lady,s in the back
It,s like a Pray !!
Love you for ever , and ever, and ever !!
Thank you Willy Deville !!
A real Masterpiece again !!
True Gypsy Love from Gypsy Sally !!!
R..I.P.
@juttawinkler7280
+sally vandenhende for ever and ever WILLY!!!!! Big Hugs from Jutta
@gypsysallylamarthy372
***** Big hugs to my dear Jutta !!
Gypsy Sally Lamarhy. xxx
@aldo16121962
Grazie di essere esistito e di esserti fatto conoscere, Willy, ti sia lieve la terra.
@snappa222
Johnny,thanks for posting man,wonderful ,Willie thanks for being Willie and the band ,what kind I say,magic !!!