Orrall took the band's pop folk direction into electronic & ambient house music in the later 1990's ,but has since returned to explore the soft rock, folk, country & soul influences that gave the band it's initial audience on the indie Texas Hotel imprint and eventual major label contract with Columbia/Sony in the late 1980's.
Poi Dog Pondering "the little big band with the strong back and supple/stubborn heart" has been following its intuition for 20 years. From bohemian street buskers to impossible-to-market major label sacrificial lambs, PdP have ripened into staunchly independent musical voyagers. Every sound that has excited them flows through their music and floods it with ever changing colors - acoustic, folk, global music, big band disco, electronic textures, orchestral collaborations, ROCK and SOUL - threaded with lyrics that embrace both the beauty and pain that life can bring.
Poi dog Pondering formed in Hawaii in 1986. The first live performance was at the Honolulu Arts Academy. Filled with youthful exuberance and inspiration from ready about Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground's "Exploding Plastic Inevitable" projected film and music happening, PdP projected films of lava eruptions, ocean and other natural environments over the band as they performed. The tradition of projected imagery along with PdP live performances has developed and matured over the years and continues.
There is a bolstered sense of history within the band now, a swagger that comes from having steadfastly carved their own path. It is quite apparent that PdP has always been, and ever will be in it for the love of it; creating and performing. Line up changes are par for the course. PdP is an organic entity, it changes like life does. But there is a core with strong roots, open to new eras and ready to experiment. That's what keeps it vibrant.
Band leader, Frank Orrall's interest in electronic music garnered him respect from the Chicago House/Electronic music community for his solo project 8fatfat8, and lead him to become a member of Thievery Corporation as percussionist and vocalist. All this influenced 2 of PDP’s Natural Thing and In Seed Comes Fruit albums which saw the band experimenting with electronic textures, beautiful lush arrangements and un-hurried, sometimes instrumental song structures, letting musicality determine the song structure, rather than traditional "verse / chorus / bridge" style song writing.
Poi dog Pondering delivered a Rock and Soul record with " 7 ",their 7th studio album, 14 cuts deep and layered in horns, strings, immediate guitars; sometimes shimmering and liquid, & sometimes "crunch and gristle". A painter's pallete of unique instruments, vintage keyboards, "on the sleeve" lyrics, gripping bass & drums and beautiful harmonies. Known for following their heart, this record finds PdP playful, intimate, honest, cocky, boisterous and definitely ready to take it live.
“Poi is becoming one of the longest running and most spirited do-it-yourself musical institutions in the country, defying the odds of commerce and interpersonal relationships by keeping a 12 piece band viable…” – GREG KOT, CHICAGO TRIBUNE
“The Poi Dog sound happens because of the real and deep connection between the
players, which shows in how they listen to one another in performance. The fact that most of them have been doing just that for two decades only increases the power of community they bring to the stage.” - NO DEPRESSION (January 2008, Live Review)
Bury Me Deep
Poi Dog Pondering Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A lifetime of accomplishments of which the dirt knows none,
Only in death can one truly return
Return the carrots, the apples and potatoes,
The chickens, the cows, the fish and tomatoes.
In one glorious swoop, let the deed be done
And bury me deep so that I can be one...
And all around my muscle and all around my bone,
The dirt which bore me, the bed that which from
The rain falls upon and the fruit comes from
For the dirt is a blanket, no fiery tomb,
No punishment, reward, or pearly white room
And you who say that in death we will pay,
The dead they can't hear a word that you say
Your words are not kind, sober or giving,
They only put fear in the hearts of the living
So put away your tongues and roll up your sleeves,
And pick up your shovel and bury me deep.
The lyrics of Poi Dog Pondering's "Bury Me Deep" are an introspective reflection on the inevitability of death, and the concept of returning to the earth as a means of achieving a sort of oneness with nature. The opening lines speak to the idea that no matter what one accomplishes in life, ultimately it is death that brings true closure, and only in death can one truly return to the earth.
The following lines speak to the notion of giving back to the earth all that we have taken from it during our lives, including the various forms of sustenance necessary for human survival. The request to be buried deep is a metaphor for wanting to be fully enveloped by the earth, with no separation between oneself and the natural world. The final lines speak to the idea that although some may believe in the notion of punishment or reward in the afterlife, the dead cannot hear those words or feel those emotions, and so it is best to focus on living in the present moment and being mindful of the things that truly matter.
Overall, "Bury Me Deep" is a poignant meditation on the relationship between human beings and the natural world, and how death can serve as a powerful reminder of our interconnectedness with all living things.
Line by Line Meaning
A lifetime of accomplishments of which the dirt knows none,
The dirt is not capable of recognizing the achievements made by someone throughout their lifetime.
only in death can one truly return
Death is the only way for a person to return to the earth.
Return the carrots, the apples and potatoes,
The singer wishes their body to decompose and give back the nutrients to the earth.
The chickens, the cows, the fish and tomatoes.
The artist includes all forms of life they've consumed in their lifetime to be returned to the earth.
In one glorious swoop, let the deed be done
The artist asks for their wishes to be fulfilled in one action.
and bury me deep so that I can be one...
The singer wants to be fully immersed and integrated into the earth.
And all around my muscle and all around my bone,
The singer emphasizes their physical self to be returned to the earth.
don't incinerate me or seal me from
The artist does not want their body to be burned or encased in a coffin.
the dirt which bore me, the bed that which from
The earth is the source of the artist's life and death.
the rain falls upon and the fruit comes from
The rain and the earth are fundamental in the growth and nourishment of life.
For the dirt is a blanket, no fiery tomb,
The singer views the earth as a comforting place to return after death.
No punishment, reward, or pearly white room
The artist rejects the concept of an afterlife or judgement.
And you who say that in death we will pay,
The singer is addressing those who believe in judgement after death.
The dead they can't hear a word that you say
The singer believes the dead are unable to hear or be affected by words spoken by the living.
Your words are not kind, sober or giving,
The singer disapproves of the fear-based perspective of an afterlife.
they only put fear in the hearts of the living
The artist argues that such beliefs only frighten the living.
So put away your tongues and roll up your sleeves,
The artist urges others to stop talking and start taking action.
and pick up your shovel and bury me deep.
The singer requests for their body to be buried directly in the earth according to their wishes.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Diana
on You Move Me
One of the best love songs ever!