Poetry Man – Phoebe Snow | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#5) & Adult Contemporary (#1); 1975
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
New York-born Phoebe Laub studied piano while growing up in Teaneck, NJ; switching to guitar in her teens. She also wrote poems for which she crafted melodies. By the early 1970’s, Phoebe Snow (a name reportedly taken from a railroad boxcar) was bringing her unique brand of music to Greenwich Village clubs.
In 1973 she signed with Leon Russell’s Shelter Records, and her self-titled debut appeared the following year. Phoebe’s love affair with all kinds of music guided her choice of studio musicians such as jazzmen Ron Carter and Bob James, rocker Dave Mason, and the a cappella Persuasions.
Among the gems on Phoebe Snow was a song inspired by an infatuation with a married man. Phoebe’s distinctive voice and style made Poetry Man an instant classic.
A second single, Gone At Last, featured Phoebe singing with Paul Simon and the Jessy Dixon Singers, however, personal and professional challenges quickly stalled her career, and she was unable to recapture the success of Poetry Man.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Phoebe Snow
Lyrics Written by:
- Dino Airali
Awards:
- “Poetry Man” achieve a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 1975
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).