She is best-remembered for From a Distance, by Julie Gold, although the version that achieved greater commercial success was not Griffith's but Bette Midler's (From a Distance). Similarly, other artists have occasionally achieved greater success with Griffith's songs than did Griffith herself: for example, Kathy Mattea, who had a country music top five hit with a 1986 cover (Love at the Five and Dime) of Love at the Five and Dime.
ADDITIONALLY
In 1994, Griffith teamed up with Jimmy Webb to contribute the song "If These Old Walls Could Speak" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country produced by the Red Hot Organization. Griffith is a survivor of breast cancer which was diagnosed in 1996, and thyroid cancer in 1998.[2]
Singer-songwriter Christine Lavin remembers the first time she saw Griffith perform:
I was struck by how perfect everything was about her singing, her playing, her talking. I realized from the get-go that this was someone who was a complete professional. Obviously she had worked a long time to get to be that good.
During her career, Griffith toured with many artists, including Buddy Holly's band, The Crickets; John Prine; Iris DeMent; Suzy Bogguss; and Judy Collins. Griffith has recorded duets with many artists, among them Emmylou Harris, Mary Black, John Prine, Don McLean, Jimmy Buffett, Dolores Keane, Willie Nelson, Adam Duritz (singer of Counting Crows), The Chieftains, and Darius Rucker (lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish). She also contributed background vocals on many other recordings.
Griffith suffered from severe 'writers block' for a number of years after 2004, lasting until the 2009 release of her The Loving Kind album, which contained nine selections that she had written and composed either entirely by herself or as collaborations.
After several months of limited touring in 2011, Griffith's bandmates The Kennedys (Pete & Maura Kennedy) packed up their professional Manhattan recording studio and relocated it to Nashville, where they installed it in Griffith's home. There, Griffith and her backing team, including Pete & Maura Kennedy and Pat McInerney, co-produced her album, Intersections over the course of the summer. The album includes several new original songs and was released in April 2012.
In addition to her own songs, Griffith is well known for her versions of other people's material, usually by contemporary singer-songwriters.
Awards
Griffith won the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album for Other Voices, Other Rooms. In 2008, the Americana Music Association awarded her its Americana Trailblazer Award; Lyle Lovett, who contributed backing vocals to some of "The Blue Moon Orchestra's" recordings,[which?] had won it before her.
Band (The Blue Moon Orchestra)
Griffith refers to her backing band as "The Blue Moon Orchestra." This reference is believed to have been drawn from both the title of one of her earliest albums, Once in a Very Blue Moon, and its title selection, which reached #85 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1986.
Battlefield
Nanci Griffith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Surrounded by the ruins of a love we built
And then destroyed between us, the smoke has cleared
As I stumble through the rubble, I'm dazed and seein' double
And I'm truly mystified
[Chorus:]
My new home is a shell-hole
And bits of broken heart
All around there is desolation
And scenes of devastation
Of a love being torn apart
I live on a battlefield
I live on a battlefield
I live on a battlefield
The one where not one single drop of blood has spilled
Is no less horrifying, sweet memories
Of a bygone situation
Now shattered, Lord and battered
Lies scattered all around
My new home is a shell-hole
Filled with tears and muddy water
Yes, and the bits of broken heart
All around, there is desolation
And scenes of devastation
Of a love being torn apart
I live on a battlefield
I live on a battlefield
I live on a battlefield
Everything that can and has gone wrong
( I live on a battlefield )
It's gonna take spine to carry on
( I live on a battlefield )
Like a drownin' man comin' up for air
( I live on a battlefield )
I'm lookin' for another survivor
But I can't see one anywhere
My new home
(My home, is filled with muddy water )
All around
(All around, there's bits of broken heart)
My world
(My world )
Is one of desolation, and scenes of devastation
There is no consolation, for a love been torn apart
I live on a battlefield
I live on a battlefield, battlefield
I live on a battlefield
(My home, is filled with muddy water)
I live on a battlefield, battlefield
I live on a battlefield
(All around, there's bits of broken heart)
I live on a battlefield, battlefield
I live on a battlefield,
(My home, is filled with muddy water )
The lyrics to Nanci Griffith's song "Battlefield" describe the aftermath of a failed relationship. The singer is living on a battlefield, surrounded by the remains of a love that was once strong but has now been destroyed. The imagery used in the lyrics is powerful, with the rubble and smoke symbolizing the chaos and confusion that the singer feels. They are dazed and seeing double, faced with the painful reality of what has been lost.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "my new home is a shell-hole," which represents the pain and emptiness the singer feels after the breakup. The tears, muddy water, and broken heart are all remnants of what was once a beautiful and loving relationship. The battlefield is a metaphor for the emotional scars that remain after a love has been torn apart. The final lines of the song show that the singer is struggling to find a way to move on, but they are determined to keep fighting despite the devastation.
Line by Line Meaning
I live on a battlefield
I am living in the aftermath of a relationship that has ended in conflict
Surrounded by the ruins of a love we built
My surroundings are reminders of the love that has been destroyed between me and my former partner
And then destroyed between us, the smoke has cleared
The conflict and tension between us is now over, but the emotional wreckage remains
As I stumble through the rubble, I'm dazed and seein' double
I am struggling to navigate through the emotional chaos and confusion of the aftermath
My new home is a shell-hole
My life now feels like a barren wasteland where everything has been destroyed
Filled with tears and muddy water
My life is now filled with sadness and despair
And bits of broken heart
Every aspect of my life now bears the scars of the love that has been lost
All around there is desolation
The world around me is empty and barren
And scenes of devastation
Every aspect of my life has been touched by the destruction of the relationship
Of a love being torn apart
The memory of the love that has been destroyed is ever-present
The one where not one single drop of blood has spilled
The emotional wounds are just as painful as physical ones, despite the lack of literal violence
Sweet memories of a bygone situation
The happy times we shared are now overshadowed by the pain of the present
Now shattered, Lord and battered
What was once beautiful is now ruined and scarred
Everything that can and has gone wrong
Every aspect of my life has been touched by the pain and conflict of the failed relationship
It's gonna take spine to carry on
It will take strength and courage to move on from this difficult time
Like a drownin' man comin' up for air
I am struggling to stay afloat in the midst of this emotional turmoil
I'm lookin' for another survivor
I am searching for someone else who has been through a similar experience and can understand my pain
But I can't see one anywhere
Despite my search, I feel isolated and alone in my pain
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: NICHOLAS ORAIN LOWE, PAUL MELVYN CARRACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind