Poe was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and raised in Dayton, Ohio, where he performed and recorded with local bands. He graduated from Miami University (Oxford) and relocated to New York City in 1992, serving as a live mix engineer for the performance art venue CB's 313 Gallery until he was signed to Sony Music in 1996.
Poe's self-titled debut was produced by T-Bone Burnett. Poe followed his debut with The Late Album (2002) and Love Is Red (2004 in Europe, 2005 in the US by 720/The Lab/Universal Music Group.) In 2006, an EP of performances from his American tour of the same year was released by The Artists Den on iTunes as David Poe: Live and Solo. Recently Poe's website announced his intention to release another solo record in 2007, tentatively entitled "Joy".
As a songwriter, he is known for clever wordplay ("You're The Bomb," "Moon," "Reunion," "Wilderness," "Love Is Red") and adventurous arrangements ("The Late Song (Je Ne Suis Pas Mort), Star, Not Enough Night.) Poe's music has been favorably compared to songwriters Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen, Ray Davies, Joni Mitchell and The Beatles. His songs have been featured in numerous films and television shows, including Transamerica, The O.C. and Dawson's Creek.
In 2004, Poe helped produce Concerts For Change in New York, Minneapolis and London in an effort to change American leadership. The effort registered thousands of new American voters. In 2005, he served for as artist-in-residence of the media collective Artists Den, a music discovery project.
Poe has lent his songwriting and producing talents to recordings by Melissa Sheehan, Jenifer Jackson, Regina Spektor and Golden Smog guitarist Kraig Jarret Johnson. On occasion Poe has played guitar and sung in Johnson's band The Program. An ongoing collaboration with songwriters Duncan Sheik, Matt Johnson, Morgan Taylor and Fil Krohnengold is likely to yield a new record in 2007; the band's name is "The I Love You."
Poe has toured, recorded, performed and/or collaborated with John Abbey, Ed Ackerson, Peter Anderson, Jeff Allen, Tori Amos, Joan Baez, Jim Boggia, Jim Boquist, Butterfly Boucher, Michael Brauer, Jon Brion, T-Bone Burnett, Sim Cain, Darren Callahan, Vanessa Carlton, Lloyd Cole, Milo Decruz, Bob Dylan, Jason Falkner, Juan Garcia, Andy Gardiner, Golden Smog, Ed Harcourt, Chris Harford, Jesse Harris, Don Heffington, Jim Hoke, Brian Huck, The Jayhawks, Jenifer Jackson, Kraig Jarret Johnson, Matt Johnson, Brad Jones, Howard Jones, Gary Jules, Suzie Katayama, Fil Krohnengold, Reni Laine, Jacob Lawson, Daryl Leonard, Lifehouse, Lisa Loeb, Tom Lord-Alge, Gary Louris, Tony Mason, Jamie Myerson, Norrin Radd, Beth Orton, David Pattillo, Gene Paul, Ben Peeler, Marc Perlman, Marc Ribot, Susan Rogers, Steve Rosenthal, Ron Sexsmith, Jane Siberry, Melissa Sheehan, Duncan Sheik, Regina Spektor, Morgan Taylor, They Might Be Giants, Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze, The Tiny, Trip Shakespeare, Chris Whitley, Daniel Wise and Doug Yowell.
Now working on his next solo effort, Poe is also collaborating with Duncan Sheik on a project called The I Love You, recording with an electronic group called The Rabbit, scoring a new movie starring Danny Masterson (That 70s Show), working with Oscar-nominated Filmmaker Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil) on an issue campaign for this year's election cycle and creating a commissioned piece with dancer/choreographer Jill Johnson for Manhattan dance company Cedar Lake which premieres in 2008.
Reunion
David Poe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She said
Come down
To my family reunion
Come down
You can meet my dad
You can see my home
They are the reason
The bar I haunted
Before there was you
Won't you come down?
She said
Come down
To my holiday at home
This is the room
The chair he sat in
Now it's powder-burn blue
This is where it happened
And that's my sister
And her husband the bastard
She smiles at his mustache
It's his latest disaster
My sister used to get high
She used to make a sound
Now she's sweet and low
When he's around
But she's happy for me
Because I found you
You see how the time is frozen pools
Is this how we're gonna get if we get old?
I don't know
Won't you come home?
Come home
To my family reunion
Come home
It's just how we left it
Everything's in place
When you went away
A little shrine was made
And did you see my mother?
Did you see her face?
There are some things
Time won't erase
Ask her if there's something in the kitchen that needs tending to
But she'll say no
Unless she likes you
But you know there's nothing any one of us can do
Yeah, yeah, yeah
The song "Reunion" by David Poe paints a vivid picture of a woman inviting her partner to join her for a family reunion. As the song progresses, we are given glimpses into the family's story, including past struggles and triumphs. The lyrics suggest that the family's experiences have helped to shape the woman's character and have deepened her love for her partner.
The song's chorus repeats the invitation to "come down" to the family reunion, drawing attention to the physical location of the event. The woman's eagerness to introduce her partner to her family suggests that she is serious about the relationship and values his presence in her life. We learn that the woman's love for her partner has been strengthened by the experiences she has shared with her family, who have played a significant role in shaping her identity.
Throughout the song, there are hints that the family has experienced hardship in the past, including a reference to a bar the woman haunted before she met her partner. The woman's sister is also mentioned, and we learn that she has a troubled relationship with her husband. Despite this, the woman's love for her partner shines through, and she is grateful for the happiness he has brought to her life.
Overall, "Reunion" is a powerful portrayal of the role that family can play in shaping our lives and relationships. The song's lyrics suggest that our experiences with others can deepen our understanding of ourselves and our capacity for love.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't you come down?
She invites him to come down to her family reunion
She said
The woman is verbally communicating with him
Come down
She repeats her invitation to come down to her family reunion
To my holiday at home
The woman considers the event a holiday
This is the room
She points out a specific location in the house
The chair he sat in
She describes the chair as having belonged to someone else
Now it's powder-burn blue
The chair has seen some damage since he last saw it
This is where it happened
She indicates something occurred in the room
And that's my sister
She points out her sibling
And her husband the bastard
She uses a negative descriptor for her sister's husband
She smiles at his mustache
Despite his faults, she seems to show a small amount of endearment towards him
It's his latest disaster
Her sister's husband apparently has a pattern of making mistakes
My sister used to get high
Her sister used to participate in illicit drug use
She used to make a sound
Her sister used to be loud or vocal
Now she's sweet and low
Her sister has changed and become more subdued
When he's around
Her sister acts differently around her husband
But she's happy for me
Despite her own struggles, her sister is happy for the woman's relationship with him
Because I found you
The woman feels fortunate to have found him
You see how the time is frozen pools
He observes how time seems to have stood still in the family home
Is this how we're gonna get if we get old?
He questions whether they will also become stuck in time as they age
I don't know
He admits uncertainty regarding the future
Won't you come home?
She invites him to come to her family's home
Come home
She repeats her invitation to come to her family's home
It's just how we left it
The house has remained unchanged since they last left it
Everything's in place
The home appears to have been kept in order
When you went away
She implies that he had once been there before
A little shrine was made
A small area of remembrance was created for him
And did you see my mother?
She inquires whether he saw her mother
Did you see her face?
She asks about his interaction with her mother
There are some things
There are some elements of the family that she considers significant
Time won't erase
These elements will continue to exist despite time passing
Ask her if there's something in the kitchen that needs tending to
She suggests asking her mother if there is work that needs to be done in the kitchen
But she'll say no
She anticipates her mother will decline assistance
Unless she likes you
She indicates that her mother would only accept help from someone she approves of
But you know there's nothing any one of us can do
She conveys the idea that there are certain things beyond their control
Yeah, yeah, yeah
An exclamation in agreement or acknowledgment
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Musze
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind