There is a humble river from my childhood that runs through the middle of Lander, WY — the place of my birth. I have vivid memories of wading in the shallow waters of the Popo Agie and breathing the clean air and soaking in a simpler time.
Below is a video discussion of the behind-the-scenes background of Popo Agie, track #7 on my new album Another Gleam — a revealing look at the inspirations, the meanings behind the song, the songwriting process, the recording experience and much more. Enjoy.
POPO AGIE
by tyler stenson © 2007
I can feel the Lander wind
Coming up beneath me again.
But to the north there’s millionaires
That lay between the billionaires
And their buildings stretch to touch the sky
In the bigger world on the other side of the middle
… of the Popo Agie.
Running down the crooked miles,
I could feel the muscles tire
And I could bend my tongue and sing the words of Pioneers
(They’re coming up between my teeth).
All at once their melodies turn to fields of industry
And the California air turned black
So, the movie stars started moving back to the middle
… to the Popo Agie
These are places- Western spaces
And I go back there just to taste it.
To feel a warm night mixed with fireflies and I–
I can feel the Lander wind coming up beneath me again.
But to the north there’s billionaires
That are speckled between the millionaires
And their buildings stretch to touch the sky
In the bigger world on the other side of the middle.
It’s just a little river,
But it’s clean as all hell
… Oh, Popo Agie.