Song Meaning
Devendra Banhart's "There Was Sun" functions as a primal scream distilled into a lullaby. Stripped down to its barest bones, the song circles around the elemental experience of birth and immediate sensory input, bypassing complex narratives for something far more fundamental: the shock of existence. The lyrics aren't striving for poetic grandeur; instead, they present simple, declarative statements: "I know I was born…I know it was warm…I know there was sun." This repetition creates a hypnotic effect, mimicking the cyclical nature of memory and the re-emergence of foundational experiences. It's not about *what* happened, but rather *that* it happened, and the lingering imprint it leaves. The "Oh waouh oh" interlude acts as a pure, unadulterated expression, a pre-verbal utterance resonating with the awe and disorientation of entering the world.
The song's power lies in its refusal to intellectualize. Banhart zeroes in on the raw, physical sensations of being born: the warmth, the feeling of skin against sunlight, the witnessing of the moon. These aren't just events; they're the building blocks of consciousness. The shift from "I slipped out of my mother's womb" to "I felt it on my human skin" highlights the transition from a state of symbiotic unity to individual awareness. The line "And I know it was done, it was done / When I saw the moon rising" suggests a completion, an ending to the initial shock and a beginning of integration into the larger cosmos.
Ultimately, "There Was Sun" plays on the listener's own implicit memories and innate understanding of beginnings. It taps into a collective unconscious, reminding us of the shared, universal experience of entering existence. The song isn't about conveying new information, but about reconnecting with the foundational sensory experiences that shape our perception of reality. It's Banhart's way of reminding us that even in the face of overwhelming complexity, there remains a core of simple, undeniable truth: we were born, and there was sun.
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