Long Haired Child by Devendra Banhart Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Threads of Parenthood and Identity
Lyrics
When I go outside and my head started hurtin’
It’s a winter’s day and I know for certain
When I go outside my head’ll start hurtin’
So I’ll wrap it up in materials to
Keep my hair from getting cold
I’ll wrap it up in materials to
Keep my hair from getting cold
And I said tell my friends when I have kids
Yeah I said tell my friends when I have kids
I’m gonna want the child to be a long-haired child
I’m gonna want the child to be a long-haired child
I’m gonna want the child to be a long-haired child
I’m gonna want the child to be a long-haired child
I go outside to mingle in the snow
My head look like a globe
Ain’t no hair on it at all
Do I buy a wig
Should I grow my beard
And comb it upwards
And around my ears
Well I can’t wait for the kids to come
No, I can’t wait for the kids to come
Say hey babe you’re goin’ know no barbershop
Cause I want yeah I want I know for certain
I’m gonna want the child to be a long-haired child
I’m gonna want the child to be a long-haired child
I’m gonna want the child to be a long-haired child
I’m gonna want the child to be a long-haired child
That’s for sure, yeah, baby, that’s for sure
When the snow it hits my temple
I wanna rush home
Put on the kettle now
And warm my little brain
And bald head
I’m too cold to know if I’m alive or dead
But when my baby slips out my mama’s womb
When my baby slips out my mama’s womb
We’re gonna enter a new life
Enter a new life, that’s for sure
You’re gonna enter your self back through your baby’s front door
Now if you want that child to be a long-haired child
You’re gonna make that baby be a long-haired child that’s for sure
Baby, baby, that’s for sure
Shoobop, shoobop
In the sprawling tapestry of modern folk, few threads shimmer quite as uniquely as those of Devendra Banhart’s ‘Long Haired Child’. Within this enigmatic piece, Banhart weaves a skein of warmth against the chill of mundanity, threading through the loops of tradition and expectation to knit an unexpected pattern of personal revelation.
This lilting melody, seemingly simple in its acoustic stride, belies a complex interplay of self-identity and the universal rite of parental aspiration. Each verse and refrain unfurls layers of meaning, revealing the intricate textures of anticipation for a future as yet unspun.
The Locks of legacy: More than just Hair
To the untrained ear, ‘Long Haired Child’ may appear a whimsical desire for follicular flourish in Banhart’s offspring, but to dismiss it as such is to ignore the dense cultural significances tangled within those long locks. Hair has long been a symbol of rebellion, freedom, and nonconformity, from the hippies of the 60s to the myriad youth cultures that have since defined themselves by their tresses.
Banhart’s repetitious invocation for his hypothetical child to be a ‘long-haired child’ thus becomes a paternal incantation, a wish to imbue his lineage with the spirit of artistic defiance and individuality. Within this longing is embedded a critique of society’s penchant for grooming citizens into trimmed ideals.
From Vulnerable Scalp to Vigilant Soul
Winter casts a cold shadow over the narrative, where each venture beyond the threshold of comfort becomes an act of bravery. Our protagonist’s head, aching and exposed, becomes a metaphor for the vulnerability of our innermost selves in a world that can often feel frigid to our sensitivities.
Banhart’s approach to this discomfort is protective—wrapping up in ‘materials’ not merely insulates from the cold but serves as armor for the soul. As a result, ‘Long Haired Child’ transcends from being a song about physical discomfort to an emblematic struggle to shield one’s essence from life’s harsh climates.
The Uncut Anthem: A Refrain of Rebellion
The song is inherently anthemic, with the central refrain of wanting a ‘long-haired child’ serving as a chorus for counterculture. Herein lies an ode to personal choice and the precious ability to pave one’s path free from the trimming shears of societal expectation and conformity.
This repetition not only underscores the importance of this wish for Banhart but also underscores the innate human desire to see one’s values and beliefs reflected in the next generation—a timeless element of the human condition.
Folk’s Hidden Chord: Strumming Beneath the Melody’s Surface
Diving beneath the melodic surface reveals that ‘Long Haired Child’ isn’t simply spinning notes around a parental hope. It’s Banhart picking at a hidden chord—the interconnectedness of life’s cycles. He exposes the profound act of existing in a state of becoming, where birthing a child parallels birthing a new self.
As the song strip-mines these depths, a philosophical vein is tapped, nurturing the idea of generational transcendence and the ceaseless re-invention of the self through our offspring. It’s Banhart’s homage to the cyclic and transformative power of creation.
Strands of Memorable Lines: Weaving Lyrics into Collective Memory
While the recurring desires pulse through the heart of the song, certain individual lines carve themselves into the psyche. ‘When my baby slips out my mama’s womb’ speaks of a threshold moment—a life-changing emergence that is both literal and symbolic, where existence is realized in the rawest form.
And in the words, ‘Enter a new life, that’s for sure,’ we are invited to share in the conviction that what follows birth is the certainty of pure potential, and in this Banhart enjoins us to cast off the banal pretexts of fate and seize the narrative threads of our destinies.
