Totem Pole

Album: Oui (2022)

Songfacts®:

  • In a Songfacts interview with Urge Overkill, Nash Kato, who sings lead on this track, explained the meaning: "Years of touring these cities and towns on a nightly basis, it's not every port, but you would have a girl that you would look up. And after years of touring, those girls would just sort of disappear. Where you remember them living they no longer live. One day they're not there anymore and you don't have a number, you don't know where they went or what became of them.

    The image of the totem pole is a reminder of some sort of milestone or landmark that you could remember where they live. We were always trying to meet by the totem pole."
  • Urge Overkill released a lot of material from 1989-1995, but then they broke up and didn't make another album until 2011. "Totem Pole" is part of their album Oui, released 11 years later in 2022.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul Station

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.

Richie McDonald of Lonestar

Richie McDonald of LonestarSongwriter Interviews

Richie talks about the impact of "Amazed," and how his 4-year-old son inspired another Lonestar hit.

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

In The Cards

In The CardsSong Writing

Songwriters have used cards and card games to make sense of heartache, togetherness, and even Gonorrhea.