During the 1980s, his reputation was established through frequent touring and recurring performances on A Prairie Home Companion. Subsequently, his work has been nominated for Grammy awards. He also founded his own record label and named it Red House Records after a home he lived in in Iowa. Red House Records is an independent record label specializing in folk music, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Well known folk artists have signed with Red House Records over the years include Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Tom Paxton and Loudin Wainwright III. A Red House Records compilation, A Nod to Bob, was said to be a tribute from a Minnesota label to a favorite native son - guess who?
On November 21, 2002 he married the singer-songwriter Iris DeMent. His daughters (from a previous marriage) are also musicians.
From: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Brown_%28folk_musician%29
The Garden of Love
Greg Brown Lyrics
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I went to the Garden of Love,
And saw what I never had seen;
A Chapel was built in the midst,
Where I used to play on the green.
And the gates of this Chapel were shut,
So I turned to the Garden of Love
That so many sweet flowers bore.
And I saw it was filled with graves,
And tombstones where flowers should be;
And priests in black gowns were walking their rounds,
And binding with briars my joys and desires
The lyrics of Greg Brown's song The Garden of Love are based on William Blake's poem with the same title, and the singer is recounting his experience of revisiting a familiar place from childhood, only to find that it has changed beyond recognition. He describes seeing a chapel at the center of the garden, where he used to play freely. This chapel is now guarded by gates with "Thou shalt not" written over them, indicating a restrictive and oppressive atmosphere. Feeling disappointed and disillusioned, the singer turns to the rest of the garden, hoping to find solace.
However, instead of the colorful and vibrant flowers that he remembers, he sees graves and tombstones filling the garden. He observes priests dressed in black clothes walking around, symbolizing the church's austerity and severity. Moreover, these priests are binding the singer's joys and desires with briars, further emphasizing their restrictive nature. The overall mood of the song is melancholic and reflective, as the singer mourns the loss of a beloved place and questions the rigidity and constraints of organized religion.
Line by Line Meaning
I went to the Garden of Love,
The singer ventures to the Garden of Love, a place they have not been before.
And saw what I never had seen;
The singer observes something new in the Garden of Love.
A Chapel was built in the midst,
The Garden of Love has a Chapel at its center.
Where I used to play on the green.
The Chapel stands on the same spot where the artist once played on the grass.
And the gates of this Chapel were shut,
The Chapel's gates are closed, indicating that it may not be accessible anymore.
And 'Thou shalt not' writ over the door;
The Chapel has a message on its door that says 'Thou shalt not,' suggesting that entry is restricted.
So I turned to the Garden of Love
As the Chapel is locked, the singer pivots to explore the rest of the Garden of Love.
That so many sweet flowers bore.
The Garden of Love had a large variety of fragrant flowers.
And I saw it was filled with graves,
The artist discovers the Garden of Love has an abundance of graves situated within it.
And tombstones where flowers should be;
Tombstones occupy the Open spaces where one might expect to find flowers.
And priests in black gowns were walking their rounds,
Religious officials dressed in black robes were walking throughout the garden.
And binding with briars my joys and desires
The priests are restricting the artist's joys and desires by entangling them with thorny briars.
Contributed by Mia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.