Now That I Know :: Devendra Banhart

So I've been debating which song I was going to blog about today for the past few days. Yes, I think about songs to blog way in advance of when I need to. Anyways. I had narrowed it down to a mewithoutyou song and this Devendra Banhart song and I just listened to both of them and Devendra won out. Mewithoutyou next week.
Devendra Banhart is a musician I was introduced to this semester when Aimee and I had a great musical exchange. He was raised in Venezuela, so he has some kickass songs that are in spanish, and some kickass songs in english. This particular song is in english. He does a little bit of everything. Mostly I'd classify him as folk, but he's also a bit of a New Age hippy.

I really like the simplicity of this song, lyrics matter of factly over a lulling guitar arrangement and cello arrangement. I really can't pick out specific lyrics that draw me, really all of it just strikes a chord for me. So hopefully you enjoy him too.

Also, I couldn't find the whole song anywhere online, so I just made a video in iMovie and put in a picture of him so it's nothing exciting, just the music. I'm sorry if the sound quality isn't the best, I had to compress the file a bit to get youtube to update it. It was taking forever at the full file size.

Now that I know
The way it goes
You gotta pay back every penny that you owe

Twelve years old
In your mama's clothes
Shut the blinds and lock up every door

And if you hear
Someone’s comin near
Just close your eyes and make them disappear now

Years away
Finds me here today
On my own, always on my way now

So I send my friends
Gifts from where I've been
Something for the hand they’re never there to lend

Better keep those eyes
Climbing paradise
And don't pretend you won't reach it in the end now

Dearest dear
I know you been here
Why'd you run tell me why'd you disappear now

That you're not
Here with me
Seems to be the only time that I can see you clearly

I may not know
How to treat or give you what you need
But I am a gentleman who says what he means now

And now I sing
Upon my knees
And praise the kindness of a gentle breeze

I see it swell
Like a story in me to tell
Told years away and past my baby dying

So you raise them up
To heaven always hell
they’re unaware, share, give a hand to help son

Oh you give them away
But they’ll come back to you someday
Wanna know why nobody was ever there to help them

And no it ain’t fair
And if God forbid you care
It’s enough to get you in a whole lotta trouble

Oh realize
It ain’t wise to idealize
Or put your life in the hands of any struggle

Never renounce
Or ever claim to be
And never buy that freedom just ain’t free now

Ella sang
Sifting in the sand
Like a hymn within to help us understand

Heaven awaits
We’re making our stand
Glory bound and sparrow in our hand