Bassist/vocalist Timothy B. Schmit, later of the Eagles, replaced original Poco member Randy Meisner after Poco's debut album. Meisner was unhappy with Furay and Messina, feeling they gave him zero respect in the production of songs. Meisner went on to join Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon band and later the Eagles. Schmit later joined the Eagles in 1978. Jim Messina, later of (Kenny) Loggins and Messina fame, who formed the band with Furay, departed in 1970, feeling Furay exhibited too much control. Paul Cotton replaced Messina on lead guitar in 1971. Original drummer George Grantham added a strong rock beat to country flavor picking and provided excellent harmony vocals. Other Poco members included later seventies/early eighties Drummer Steve Chapman and Bassist Charlie Harrison and current bassist Jack Sundrud. George Lawrence replaced Grantham on drums after illness took him from the band in the summer of 2004.
Poco's back catalogue includes a wide variety of styles, from 60's folk rock to 70's hard rock and from country to electric pop. The band's three first albums, "Pickin' Up The Pieces (1969)", "Poco (1970)" and "Deliverin (1970)'" all share a joyful, slightly psychedelic atmosphere. For some fans, this was the real Poco.
Guitarist/songwriter Paul Cotton's joining Poco then brought more variety and also considerably more rock punch to the band on "From The Inside (1971)", "A Good Feelin' To Know (1972)" and "Crazy Eyes (1973)" .
However, a disappointed Furay departed , lamenting that the band had not increased it's audience since it's inception..
.After Furay's departure, the band released it's last two LP's on Epic,.The albums "Seven (1974)" and "Cantamos (1974)" also resulted in mediocre sales, charting at #'s 68 and 76, respectively.
Poco left Epic after Cantamos and signed with ABC-Dunhill Records. Head Over Heels was their first ABC release, featuring Schmit's acoustic "Keep On Tryin'", which became the group's most successful single to date, charting at #50 on the Billboard Hot 100. Around the time of the release of Head Over Heels, The Very Best of Poco was released as a compilation album that documented the group's years with Epic. Epic's release fought with Head Over Heels for attention though neither charted very well, hitting #43 and #90, respectively.
The group's next ABC-Dunhill album was Rose Of Cimarron which also failed to generate much enthusiasm and peaked at #89. Another Epic release also came out in 1976, the live album Live. Indian Summer was released the following spring, reaching #57.
In August 1977, Schmit quit to join the Eagles, coincidentally replacing former Poco member Meisner yet again. As a result, a possible new live album was cancelled by ABC. After languishing in storage for many years, the album was eventually released as The Last Roundup in 2004.
After Schmit's departure, Poco decided to take a break. Grantham took some time off, while Young and Cotton decided to continue as the "Cotton-Young Band". They added Steve Chapman (drums) and Charlie Harrison (bass) to round out their new quartet. However, ABC decided to pick up the Cotton-Young album — as long as they continued under the 'Poco' name. Thus, although Grantham had never quit Poco, he found himself bought out of the group. He subsequently landed a job as drummer for Ricky Skaggs.
The new Poco couldn't have started much better, since "Legend (1978)" became band's first hit album with two TOP-20 hits. The album is very different from everything Poco had so far done and the hard rocking title track hinted for what was to follow.
The joy was short lived, however. In the 1980s, the group released five more albums: Under The Gun (1980), Blue And Gray (1981), Cowboys & Englishmen (1982) on MCA and, moving over to Atlantic Records, Ghost Town (1982) and Inamorata (1984). Poco failed to duplicate the success achieved by Legend, with each album doing more poorly than its predecessor.
After poor commercial success, Poco went into hiatus until the original line-up surprised everyone with new album "Legacy (1989)". It was also a hit album with another TOP20 hit single "Call it love". The album to many listeners was a welcome return to band's original country rock style. This line-up didn't last, however, and only recorded this one album. This wasn't the end of Poco, though. The band, now again Cotton & Young -lead, continued gigging and even made a new studio album "Running Horse" in 2002, which failed to gather much acclaim.
The band has been active in the 2000's ever since, having so far released three live albums from both recent and older concerts: "Keeping The Legend Alive", "The Last Roundup" and "Bareback at Big Sky". A concert DVD is also available. Paul Cotton's three solo albums "Changing Horses (1990)", "Firebird (2000)" and "When The Coast is Clear" (2005)" are also available and well worth a check.
On March 11, 2010, Cotton departed the band . Keyboardist Michael Webb from Nashville TN joined the band and Poco continued to tour.
Plans are underway for a new CD in early 2011 as well as a tour.
Read more about Poco at http://www.poconut.org.
Father's Day
Poco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Third Sunday every June
I'm on the road back home
To celebrate the finest man I've ever known
I bought a tie he won't wear
A silly card to make him laugh
And you can bet he'll have a few new jokes
I'm heading home for Father's Day
To hear him tell it like it was
Back when a man knew who to fight
And who to trust
The world made sense, he'll say to me
In the good ol' used to be
Or at least it seemed that way
In my Father's Day
One job for forty years
One house and one wife
The kind of thing you seldom see in modern life
Oh, I love hearing his rose colored memories
I've heard 'em all a hundred times
But there's no place I'd rather be
I live my life so I can face him
Every year when I embrace him
I thank him for showing me the way
Third Sunday every june
I'm on the road back home
The lyrics to Poco's "Father's Day" relay a poignant story about how the singer reminisces about his father every third Sunday of June, which is Father's Day. He describes his excitement in returning home to celebrate the occasion with his dad, who he refers to as the "finest man he's ever known." The singer talks about his father's fond memories of the "good old days" when "the world made sense," and every man knew who to trust and who to fight. The singer also talks about his father's simplicity in life. He worked at one job for forty years, had one wife, and lived in one house, qualities that are rare in modern-day society. The singer speaks of loving to listen to his father's nostalgic recollections repeatedly, which paint his past with rose-colors. Despite them being repetitive, the singer wants to be with his father and show him appreciation for the way he has shown him the right path.
The lyrics show that the singer's admiration and gratitude towards his father. He recognizes his father's effort in raising him and teaching him the norms of life. The song highlights a common emotion shared by many; love and gratitude for one's father. The song connects to people emotionally, considering that the majority of people have a father figure they adore and hold in high regard. The song provides an insight into how important it is to acknowledge and show appreciation to our fathers while they are alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Third Sunday every June
On the third Sunday of every June, corresponding to Father's Day
I'm on the road back home
I am traveling back to my hometown
To celebrate the finest man I've ever known
To honor my father who is the best man I know
I bought a tie he won't wear
I purchased a tie as a Father's Day gift, although I know he will not wear it
A silly card to make him laugh
I also got a humorous Father's Day card to bring a smile to his face
And you can bet he'll have a few new jokes
My dad will inevitably have some new jokes to tell
If I know my old man
Based on my knowledge of my father's personality
I'm heading home for Father's Day
I am traveling home to spend Father's Day with my dad
To hear him tell it like it was
To listen to his stories of the past
Back when a man knew who to fight
When it was clearer who and what were worth fighting for
And who to trust
And who was trustworthy
The world made sense, he'll say to me
According to my father, the world used to be simpler and more logical
In the good ol' used to be
In the past when things were easier
Or at least it seemed that way
Or maybe it just appeared that way
In my Father's Day
During my dad's generation or era
One job for forty years
My father worked the same job for forty years
One house and one wife
Additionally, he had one house and one spouse throughout his life
The kind of thing you seldom see in modern life
These things are becoming rarer in contemporary society
Oh, I love hearing his rose colored memories
I enjoy listening to my dad's fond recollections of the past
I've heard 'em all a hundred times
Even though I've heard his stories many times before
But there's no place I'd rather be
There is nowhere else I'd prefer to be
I live my life so I can face him
I live my life in such a way as to be proud to face and speak with my father
Every year when I embrace him
Each year when we hug
I thank him for showing me the way
I express gratitude for his guidance and life lessons
Third Sunday every june
On Father's Day, which always falls on the third Sunday of June
I'm on the road back home
I am on my way home after visiting my father
Contributed by Riley T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.