The PPL ultimately located itself in Columbus, Ohio (sixty miles north of Waverly), and the group had its first success in Cincinnati. The original stage band was made up of Fuller, McGrail, Powell, Phil Stokes on bass, and Robin Suskind on guitar and mandola. His steel guitar greatly improved on the guys' country songs and sparked hot guitar duels with Fuller that contributed greatly to the 'fusion' ethos of the band, its signature sound.
PPL’s biggest hits include Fuller’s country classic, "Amie", a piece released in 1972 that still attracts major airplay today due to its smooth, emotional sound. Some of their other tracks are “Two Lane Highway” and the musically less-representative pop song "Let Me Love You Tonight", which was composed by Jeff Wilson, Dan Greer, and Steve Woodard. Vince Gill, later to become one of Nashville’s biggest solo stars, sang and played guitar with the band in the early 80s and recorded a revised version of "Amie" for their greatest hits album.
In the late 90s, PPL was back with a lineup of Fuller, Connor, Reilly, Burr, Fats Kaplin (pedal steel guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, accordion, washboard) and Rich Schell (vocals, drums, percussion). After two years, in June 2000, Burr was succeeded by Curtis Wright (vocals, guitars). The group began work on a new album in 2002, but abandoned the sessions and separated once again (probably due to the illness of Connor). Connor died on September 9th, 2004 after a long battle with cancer.
Following Connor's death, the group resumed touring once more in 2004 with Fuller, Reilly, Schell, Wright and Kaplin (when available), and released All in Good Time in 2005, their first album in 18 years. This release appeared on the small Drifter's Church label.
Since this time, PPL have continued to tour playing a handful of shows every year. Reilly was unable to continue in 2006 after he was forced to undergo a liver transplant. Jack Sundrud (from Poco) came in to sub for Reilly, and Rick Plant also briefly did a stint on bass (before relocating to Australia in late 2006). Sundrud then returned. Reilly appeared at a few shows in May 2007, playing guitar, but was unable to come back full-time until 2008. Jeff "Stick" Davis (from Amazing Rhythm Aces) sat in on bass for Mike in 2007. Call played some concerts in 2006 & 2007, standing in for Kaplin, and Donnie Clark replaced Curtis Wright in 2006, after Wright joined Reba McEntire's band.
A fourteenth album was released in 2006, composed primarily of Craig Fuller songs, an echo of their very first album back in 1971.
Tornado Warning
Pure Prairie League Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One of us keeps feeling so incomplete
Shiftin' directions like November blowing in the street
And turnin' and changin' and givin' up, arrangin'
The woman is the one I always need
Tornado warning
Came in this morning
Well, all my life I've expected only the best of things
Now I see your clouds and they are appearing
And these strange sensations have such an, oh, so familiar ring
Rain on the window and tears on my pillow
The wind in my mind keeps a-blowin'
Tornado warning
Came in this morning
Tornado warning
The wind is blowing strong
We must hold on to wait another day, we must go on
This girl, oh, my gosh, looks like the one for me
I'm givin' up all my freedom, completely
This whirlwind that we've been livin' keeps us far apart
The changing, believing, it's not hard to love you
If I haven't forgotten where to start
Tornado warning
Came in this morning
Tornado warning
In "Tornado Warning," Pure Prairie League uses imagery from the natural disaster to convey the intense emotions of a relationship that feels like it's on the brink of falling apart. The lyrics suggest that one of the individuals in the relationship is feeling incomplete and unresolved, shifting and changing directions like the blowing winds of November. The woman that the singer is with is the one that he always needs, but their relationship feels like a whirlwind that keeps them far apart. The storm metaphor is extended throughout the song, with references to rain on the window and tears on the pillow, and images of a wind that keeps blowing and threatening to tear everything apart.
The chorus, "Tornado warning, came in this morning," reinforces the sense of danger and unpredictability that the song is conveying. The storm warning is a call to action, a warning to hold on and wait for another day, even in the face of the tumultuous emotions and uncertain future of the relationship. The final verse suggests that the singer has found someone he truly cares for and is willing to give up his freedom for, but the storm of their relationship continues to rage on.
Line by Line Meaning
I guess that you just have to know what it feels like
It's hard to understand what someone else is going through unless you've experienced it yourself
One of us keeps feeling so incomplete
One of us is not satisfied with the current state of our relationship
Shiftin' directions like November blowing in the street
Our lives and relationship are in constant flux, like the changing winds of autumn
And turnin' and changin' and givin' up, arrangin'
We are constantly adjusting and compromising to make our relationship work, sometimes at the expense of our own desires
The woman is the one I always need
Despite the difficulties, I know that I need this woman in my life
Tornado warning
A metaphorical warning that our relationship is in turmoil and could be torn apart at any moment
Came in this morning
The warning signs of trouble in our relationship appeared suddenly and unexpectedly
Well, all my life I've expected only the best of things
I've always had high expectations for myself and my relationships
Now I see your clouds and they are appearing
I can see the signs of trouble and turmoil in our relationship
And these strange sensations have such an, oh, so familiar ring
Despite the unique circumstances, these feelings of unrest and fear are all too familiar
Rain on the window and tears on my pillow
I am sad and anxious about the state of our relationship
The wind in my mind keeps a-blowin'
My thoughts and feelings about our relationship are constantly changing and uncertain
The wind is blowing strong
The problems in our relationship are becoming more intense and difficult to ignore
We must hold on to wait another day, we must go on
We need to persevere through the difficulties and hope for better days ahead
This girl, oh, my gosh, looks like the one for me
Despite the problems in our relationship, I still believe that this woman is the one for me
I'm givin' up all my freedom, completely
I am willing to sacrifice my independence for the sake of our relationship
This whirlwind that we've been livin' keeps us far apart
The constant changes and difficulties in our relationship keep us emotionally distant
The changing, believing, it's not hard to love you
Despite the difficulties, I still believe in our love and am committed to making our relationship work
If I haven't forgotten where to start
If I can remember the love and commitment we started with, I know we can overcome the challenges ahead
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE POWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind