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.
Miracle
Willy DeVille Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If there's a way, please show me how
I can't go on without your love.
So lift me up, give me your hand
Look way down deep, you'll understand
If you walk away, away from me.
Yes and I'm gonna need a miracle now.
Give back to me what I lost to you
So hard to live when you just lose
They say life goes on. yes on and on.
Yes if I could just forget
Put back the pieces like they once fit
It might look right but there's a piece that's gone.
And I need a miracle now
Yes and I'm gonna need a miracle now.
Every night I hope and pray
That you'll be mine again some day.
Only you can stop this pain
If there's a way to live again
So say a prayer, a prayer for me.
And I need a miracle now
Yes and I'm gonna need a miracle now.
I need a miracle now...
The lyrics to Willy DeVille's song "Miracle" speak to the pain and desperation that can come with a broken relationship. The singer is clearly pleading with their former partner, asking for help and guidance in finding a way to move on or fix the broken pieces. They express a profound sense of loss and a need for something miraculous to happen in order to heal.
The song opens with a plea for help, asking the former partner to "lift me up, give me your hand" and show the singer how to move forward. The second verse expresses a desire to regain what was lost, but acknowledges that there may always be a missing piece. Finally, the chorus repeats the idea that a miracle is needed in order to truly heal from the pain of the breakup.
Throughout the song, the singer expresses a genuine longing for their former partner, suggesting that they may still hold out hope for a reconciliation. The final verse speaks to this hope directly, as the singer says they "hope and pray" for their former partner to return to them. However, they ultimately acknowledge that only their partner can "stop this pain."
Overall, "Miracle" is a poignant and reflective song about the difficult process of healing from a broken relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Please help me up, you let me down
Asking the person who let him down to help him up, admitting he cannot do it alone.
If there's a way, please show me how
Hoping the person can find a way to help him, as he does not know how to fix things himself.
I can't go on without your love.
Admitting that he cannot continue his life without the person who left him.
So lift me up, give me your hand
Asking the person to support him as he tries to find a way forward.
Look way down deep, you'll understand
Encouraging the person to look deep within themselves to find a solution.
If you walk away, away from me.
Warning the person that leaving him will have a serious impact on him.
Then I'm gonna need a miracle now
Admitting that he cannot find a way forward without divine intervention.
Yes and I'm gonna need a miracle now.
Repeating that he truly needs a miracle to overcome this situation.
Give back to me what I lost to you
Asking for the person to return what was taken from him.
So hard to live when you just lose
Expressing the difficulty he feels living his life after such a great loss.
They say life goes on. yes on and on.
Acknowledging that life will continue, even if it is hard for him to move forward.
Yes if I could just forget
Expressing his desire to forget the pain and move on with his life.
Put back the pieces like they once fit
Desiring to have things the way they used to be with the person he lost.
It might look right but there's a piece that's gone.
Knowing that things might seem okay on the surface, but there is still something missing in his life.
And I need a miracle now
Reiterating his need for a miraculous intervention to help him.
Yes and I'm gonna need a miracle now.
Continuing to assert that a miracle is the only thing that can help him now.
Every night I hope and pray
Speaking to the daily efforts he is making to search for a solution.
That you'll be mine again some day.
Expressing his deepest longing for the person he lost.
Only you can stop this pain
Believing that the person who left him is the only one who can ease his pain.
If there's a way to live again
Searching for any possibility of living again without his pain.
So say a prayer, a prayer for me.
Requesting for others to intercede on his behalf, as he cannot do it alone.
And I need a miracle now
Affirming his need for a miraculous intervention to help him.
Yes and I'm gonna need a miracle now.
Repeating his conviction that a miracle is the only thing that can save him now.
I need a miracle now...
Concluding the song with a final plea for a miracle to help him overcome his pain.
Contributed by Asher E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Th. Stobbe
Es ist so klasse ,Willy und seine Musik kennen gelernt zu haben. Was fรผr ein Sing and Songwriter. Seit 40 Jahren begleitet er mich. Ruhe in Frieden Willy
Anne Jouve
Willy de Ville magnifique, bouleversant, vivant par sa voix, un miracle en lui-mรชme. Merci.
CoffeineNightOwl
he will never be forgotten.
JulietRomeo
Beautiful song. I don't know why, but it makes tears drop of my eyes everytime I hear it. Willy's voice added to MK's guitar is one of the best sounding thing mankind can hear. RIP Willy.
strictlynorton
Willy's voice is more than music its his life good and bad pouring out... shared... nothing held back. Etta James had it too. True soul touching anyone with a heart. R.I.P. Willy you were a real cat!
conchi dominguez
Un dรบo beatiful. La maravillosa voz de Willy, el sonido caracterรญstico de la guitarra de Mark... Amazing!!
Britta Kingsley
Saw him and the group live in Amsterdam Holland around 2001. Best ever concert in an old church building. He was out of his mind on whatever drugs but still did a very professional performance. Great guy and sweet soul,โฆ.rest in peace.
Ruben. Cรณrcoles
Los grandes nunca mueren.
Siempre viven en el corazon de las personas que aman la musica.
conchi dominguez
Amรฉn?! Estoy totalmente de acuerdo. Era !! Geniรกl!
Robert Elg
Man i miss man this so much.