Po' Girl is a Canadian group whose style derives from folk, country and jaz… Read Full Bio ↴Po' Girl is a Canadian group whose style derives from folk, country and jazz. The style of music they perform is usually called "urban roots."

The band evolved from a series of jam sessions, in 2000, between Trish Klein of The Be Good Tanyas and Allison Russell, then of Fear of Drinking. The two met up again in 2003 and named themselves Po' Girl.

They released their self-titled debut album in 2003. In 2004, they recorded and released their second album, Vagabond Lullabies with the help of friend musicians who included Diona Davies (multi-instrumentalist and singer), CR Avery (hip hopper), Roey Shemesh on bass and John Raham and Shelley Okepnak on drums. 2006 saw the release of their B Side recordings, with tracks featuring guest appearances by Sarah Harmer, Luther Wright, Shaun Brodie, Jason Mercer and Ana Egge (the album can only be purchased off-stage).

In 2007 came their third album, Home to You.

Once based in Vancouver, Po' Girl are now back in the Eastern cities of Toronto and Montreal. The band lineup is now Allison Russell (singer/multi-instrumentalist), Awna Teixeira (singer/multi-instrumentalist), Benny Sidelinger (multi-instrumentalist) and Mikey "Lightning" August.

Deer in the Night was released in May 2009. Also in summer 2009, they released their first live album consisting of recordings in venues from their favourite states.

Their album Follow Your Bliss was released in 2010.

Po' Girl's music has been compared with that of The Band, Hazel Dickens, Tracy Chapman, Natalie Merchant, Elizabeth Cotten and Norah Jones. It showcases melodies from instruments as diverse as banjo, clarinet, harmonica, dobro, accordion, gutbucket bass.

Driving
Po' Girl Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Standin' in the rain... lately I've been thinkin of wearin myself thin
So let me roll up my sleeves and let us begin I haven't been this
Happy since my daddy took this young mc to the movie dead poet's society at the gloucester cinema
Now I'm staring at the moon and I'm thinkin about my pa those years spent in ottawa
He would drive while I would write and draw, in the shotgun seat let me recite
What I saw before he got married had the responsibilty to carry
Each year he would buy a new car, I remember him driving an old beat-up jallopy, and not blowing his check at the bar

He splurged and bought the family a vcr, his whole body would shake holding back the tears the sad scene in the movie and the reality that it mirrors
That's the trait of him that I love the most I don't see him much now that I'm on the west coast,

Graveley to Commercial down to Hastings and Main, BC famous for it's downpours of rain,
Downpours of rain... downpours of rain, downpours of rain

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Driving" by Po' Girl convey the nostalgia and memories of the singer, who is standing in the rain and reminiscing about her past. She talks about how she is feeling worn out lately and then decides to roll up her sleeves to begin anew. The song takes the listener back to a time when the singer's father used to take her to the movies to watch "Dead Poet's Society" at the Gloucester Cinema, which makes her feel happy. However, now she finds herself far from home in the west coast and rarely sees her dad. She talks about their precious moments together when he would drive and she would write and draw in the passenger seat. She recalls the years spent in Ottawa and how her father would buy a new car every year but never spend lavishly on drinks. Instead, he would splurge on a VCR for the family. The singer reflects on the trait she loves the most about her dad and ends the song humming about the rain, which is famous in British Columbia.

The lyrics of this song evoke a sense of longing and nostalgia, which is a common theme in many folk songs. It brings to mind the memories of the past and the importance of family, which is especially highlighted by the singer. The use of imagery in the lyrics is also striking, as the singer describes the pouring rain, which is a significant feature of British Columbia. The lyrics also make a reference to the famous movie "Dead Poet's Society," which has a cult following worldwide.

Line by Line Meaning

Standin' in the rain...
I am currently standing in the rain, experiencing the same feeling of weariness that I have been feeling lately.

So let me roll up my sleeves and let us begin
Despite feeling tired, I am ready to work hard and begin this new challenge with determination.

I haven't been this happy since my daddy took this young mc to the movie dead poet's society at the gloucester cinema
The last time I felt great happiness was when my dad took me to see a movie called 'Dead Poet's Society' at the Gloucester Cinema and it was an incredible experience.

Now I'm staring at the moon and I'm thinkin about my pa those years spent in ottawa
I am looking at the moon and reminiscing about the years I spent with my father in Ottawa.

He would drive while I would write and draw, in the shotgun seat let me recite
During those years, my father would drive while I wrote and drew, and I would read aloud to him from the passenger seat.

What I saw before he got married had the responsibilty to carry
Before my dad got married, he had a lot of responsibilities that he had to carry, and I witnessed him bear those responsibilities.

Each year he would buy a new car, I remember him driving an old beat-up jallopy, and not blowing his check at the bar
Even though he could afford a new car every year, I remember him driving an old car and not wasting his money at the bar.

He splurged and bought the family a vcr, his whole body would shake holding back the tears the sad scene in the movie and the reality that it mirrors
He once splurged on buying a VCR for our family and was moved to tears by a sad scene in a movie because it reminded him of his own life.

That's the trait of him that I love the most I don't see him much now that I'm on the west coast
The thing I love most about my dad is his admirable trait of being responsible, but I don't see him as often now that I live on the west coast.

Graveley to Commercial down to Hastings and Main, BC famous for it's downpours of rain
The route from Graveley to Commercial down to Hastings and Main in British Columbia is famous for its heavy rains.

Downpours of rain... downpours of rain, downpours of rain
It rains a lot in British Columbia.

Contributed by Gabriella V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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