Pamela Means' many honors include being named Falcon Ridge Folk Festival's #1 "Most Wanted New Artist", and both Wisconsin's "Folk Artist of the Year", and "Female Vocalist of the Year". Pamela has also been a Boston Music Award Nominee ("Outstanding Contemporary Folk Artist").
Currently, Pamela performs over 150 shows a year at clubs, coffeehouses, colleges, and festivals across the country, most notably the Newport Folk Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, South by Southwest Conference, Southern Womyn's Fest, and Michigan Womyn's Festival. Pamela is also a favorite at innumerable regional Gay Pride events, Take Back the Night rallies, and Black History Month celebrations. Pamela has shared the stage with artists including Ani DiFranco, Joan Baez, Neil Young, Shawn Colvin, Richie Havens, Patty Larkin, Melissa Ferrick, Violent Femmes, Pete Seeger, Janis Ian, and Holly Near.
Pamela's 2003 summer tour took her nationwide, promoting her fifth self-released album, Single Bullet Theory (Wirl Records, 2003), in which "...Means fires off what is easily one of the best musical summanations of our current political situation.." (Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco, CA)
Quoting her inspiration, Warrior Poet Audre Lorde, Pamela asks "I am myself- a Black woman warrior poet doing my work- come to ask you, are you doing yours?" With Truth as ammunition, a Pamela Means performance brings the fight for social justice and human dignity to the forefront of a new generation..
Love and Dust
Pamela Means Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The devil's on a joyride
Forgiveness is my task
Make the most of my time
I'm the polar night
That is never done
When the winter might
She lets no sun
I cannot run a stream
Take this message to my mother
I saw her in my dream
The moon is a maiden
Next to god
Here, my little poems
Of love and dust
In "Love and Dust", Pamela Means brings forth a collection of vivid and poignant images and metaphors, wrapped in a melody that drifts softly and introspectively. The opening lines, "wild things run fast, the devil's on a joyride, forgiveness is my task" presents emotionally-charged concepts of speed, danger, and redemption. The singer seems to be reflecting on the fleeting nature of life and the simultaneous presence of darkness and light. There is a sense of urgency to "make the most of my time", as time feels like it's slipping away, like a river that cannot be held or a stream that cannot be run. Despite this, the polar night, which represents darkness and cold, is "never done", highlighting the cyclical nature of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Wild things run fast
Life moves quickly and unexpectedly, much like wild animals.
The devil's on a joyride
Evil is always present and active in our world.
Forgiveness is my task
A primary goal in life is to forgive those who have wronged us.
Make the most of my time
Time is limited and it's important to use it wisely and purposefully.
I'm the polar night
I am constantly present, like the long nights of winter in the polar regions.
That is never done
My presence is constant and unchanging.
When the winter might
During the cold and dark winter season.
She lets no sun
No light or warmth can penetrate the darkness of winter.
I cannot hold a river
It's impossible to control the powerful forces of nature.
I cannot run a stream
I cannot control or escape the flow of life around me.
Take this message to my mother
Please deliver this important message to my mother.
I saw her in my dream
I had a vivid dream about my mother and want to share this message with her.
The moon is a maiden
The moon is viewed as a young woman, often connected with femininity and beauty.
Next to god
The moon is highly valued and revered, often compared to divinity.
Here, my little poems
These are my small and personal expressions of creativity and emotion.
Of love and dust
My poems are about the beauty and fragility of love and life, which can be easily blown away like dust.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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