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.
Last Train Home
Nanci Griffith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was the last song on your mind the day you left
You woke up in Nogales
With Tequila with her name across your chest
You've stumbled through the morning
In these border tourists' dusty avenues
Singing Everyday's The Hurting Kind
[Chorus]
You missed the last train home
The whistle blew and now she's gone
West Texas dust beneath your nails
You're hammered down the heartbreak trail
And you've missed the last train home
That whistle blew... she's solid gone
Now, you're wandering El Paso
Searching for your broken heart and truth
She was all you ever had
And the only thing you ever had to lose
With a juke box playing Charlie Rich
You're lining up your shots at half past noon
You threw your ring across the bar
And sang along to Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues
[Chorus]
Now don't go to Tulsa where she's bound
You'll end up six feet underground
Your ex-friend, Charlie's there abouts
He never missed the last train out
You missed the last train home
That whistle blew... she's solid gone
You missed the last train home
That whistle blew... she's solid gone
In Nanci Griffith's song Last Train Home, the lyrics tell a story of heartbreak and regret. The singer is reflecting on their past relationship, and how they let it slip away. The reference to the classic song By the Time I Get to Phoenix adds to the sense of loss and remorse, as the lyrics suggest that the singer was not thinking of their partner when they left. The mention of waking up in Nogales with tequila and another woman's name across their chest reinforces the sense of regret.
As the singer wanders through the dusty streets of the border town, they sing the lines "Everyday's The Hurting Kind / And everyday you live, you're Born to Lose." These lyrics speak to a feeling of helplessness and perpetual sorrow, underscoring the singer's sense of loss. The chorus repeats the line "You missed the last train home / That whistle blew... she's solid gone," emphasizing the idea that the singer has missed their chance to make things right and win back their former partner.
The final verse includes a warning to avoid going to Tulsa, as it will only lead to more pain and potentially even danger. The mention of "ex-friend Charlie" suggests that the singer's friend may have betrayed them or played a role in the breakdown of the relationship. Overall, the lyrics paint a vivid picture of heartbreak and regret, with a sense of longing for what could have been.
Line by Line Meaning
By the Time I Get to Phoenix
This song wasn't on your mind when you left
Was the last song on your mind the day you left
You didn't leave thinking about the song 'By the Time I get to Phoenix'
You woke up in Nogales
After leaving, you woke up in Nogales
With Tequila with her name across your chest
You have Tequila with your ex-partner's name written on your chest
You've stumbled through the morning
During the morning, you have stumbled around
In these border tourists' dusty avenues
You are wandering around dusty avenues or streets that tourists frequent, near a border
Singing Everyday's The Hurting Kind
You sing a song called 'Everyday's the Hurting Kind'
And everyday you live, you're Born to Lose.
You feel like you can't win and are destined to lose every day
You missed the last train home
You didn't make it in time for the last train to go back home
The whistle blew and now she's gone
The train left and now she's gone
West Texas dust beneath your nails
You have dirt and dust from West Texas under your nails
You're hammered down the heartbreak trail
You're feeling heartbroken and down traveling along a rough path
And you've missed the last train home
You didn't make it on time to catch the last train home
That whistle blew... she's solid gone
The train left and your ex-partner is now gone
Now, you're wandering El Paso
Currently, you're wandering around El Paso
Searching for your broken heart and truth
You are looking for your broken heart and answers to your questions
She was all you ever had
Your ex-partner was everything you had
And the only thing you ever had to lose
The only thing you had that you could lose was your partner
With a juke box playing Charlie Rich
Charlie Rich is playing on the jukebox
You're lining up your shots at half past noon
You're queuing up your alcoholic drinks around midday
You threw your ring across the bar
You threw your ring far away in the bar
And sang along to Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues
You sang along to a song called 'Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues'
Now don't go to Tulsa where she's bound
Stay away from Tulsa, where your ex-partner is headed
You'll end up six feet underground
You might end up dead
Your ex-friend, Charlie's there abouts
Your former friend, Charlie, is somewhere nearby
He never missed the last train out
Charlie always makes sure he catches the last train
You missed the last train home
Again, you missed the last train home
That whistle blew... she's solid gone
The sound of the train leaving signifies your partner is really gone
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NANCI GRIFFITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Graustarkian2
SUCH an amazing song 💗 So sad you are gone Nanci. You and your music lives forever 💞
John Wilson
...Got the same rush..respecti as the very first time I heard Nanci on Austin City Limits, 30 plus years ago. What a cute, talented little chick. Wish I had her phone number. Respectfully, of course.
Neil Ladd
Miss it and you're lost.