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.
Michael
Nanci Griffith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Says it's time to go
I'm wasting my time counting
Stains on a barroom floor
Thinking 'bout my hometown
And the friends I'll leave behind
Mostly 'bout the man who writes
His songs with smiling rhymes
Of his dreams in the midnight light
Michael counts his songs
In the years of wasted miles
I used to think he was really part
Of that fantasy in rhyme
But looking back on all his tunes
Of butterflies and sunshine
There was only one about the
Man he kept inside
About the time he crossed the line
And let a tear come to his eye
I used to hide out
In his pretty smile
And hope it would shine me
Through the morrow
Until I learned the way
It feels to be the man
Who sings the world a smile
Without a soul to share his sorrow
The light here at the freeway
Well, it's turning green to gold
The stains on that barroom floor
Ten miles back down the road
Thinking 'bout how that old bar
Brought Michael back to mind
And how I can sing his blues
And be smiling here inside
I guess a weary soul will always
I used to hide out
In his pretty smile
And hope it would shine me
Through the morrow
Until I learned the way
It feels to be the man
Who sings the world a smile
Without a soul to share his sorrow
The lyrics to Nanci Griffith's song Michael tell the story of a musician called Michael, as seen through the eyes of the singer. The singer is on a journey, leaving his hometown behind, and reminiscing about the people he'll miss - including Michael, who writes songs "with smiling rhymes". The singer reflects on his perception of Michael, how he used to think Michael was part of a "fantasy in rhyme", but realizes that Michael's songs are actually about his own real-life experiences. Although most of Michael's songs are about "butterflies and sunshine", there is one song that's different - it's about the "man he kept inside", and the singer imagines that Michael shed a tear when he wrote it.
The second verse gives us insight into the singer's own struggles. He too used to rely on Michael's music to get him through the tough times, hiding out in Michael's "pretty smile" and hoping it would shine through his own pain. But now the singer has learned what it means to be the man who sings the world a smile without anyone to share his sorrow. The lyrics suggest a sense of loneliness and isolation, both for Michael and the singer, but also a sense of resilience and the power of music to uplift and provide solace.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a light out on the freeway
Nanci Griffith sees a traffic light on the freeway and feels it's a signal for her to leave.
Says it's time to go
The green light indicates it's time for her to move on and leave her current place behind.
I'm wasting my time counting
Nanci is aimlessly looking down and counting the stains on a barroom floor.
Stains on a barroom floor
Nanci is staring at the dirty marks and blemishes on the surface of the barroom floor.
Thinking 'bout my hometown
Nanci is lost in thought about her home and where she grew up.
And the friends I'll leave behind
Nanci is contemplating the friendships that she's going to have to leave behind as she moves on.
Mostly 'bout the man who writes
Nanci is reflecting on a songwriter that she knows and admires.
His songs with smiling rhymes
The songwriter that Nanci is thinking of typically writes happy and upbeat tunes with jovial lyrics.
And I'm holding on to a smokey view
Nanci is clinging to a hazy and unclear perspective.
Of his dreams in the midnight light
Nanci is imagining the songwriter's aspirations in the dim glow of the late-night hours.
Michael counts his songs
Michael, the songwriter from earlier in the song, takes stock and counts the songs that he's written.
In the years of wasted miles
Michael acknowledges all the time he's spent traveling and performing throughout his career.
I used to think he was really part
Nanci used to believe that Michael was genuinely living the happy and carefree life that he sang about in his songs.
Of that fantasy in rhyme
She saw the world he described in his lyrics as a made-up fantasy land.
But looking back on all his tunes
Now, in retrospect, Nanci sees that Michael's songs were more than just fanciful rhymes.
Of butterflies and sunshine
Michael's music often contained playful and whimsical imagery like butterflies and sunshine.
There was only one about the
However, among all his songs, only one talked about a more serious topic.
Man he kept inside
That song was about the emotions and feelings that Michael kept hidden inside himself.
About the time he crossed the line
The song talked about a specific moment when Michael allowed himself to be vulnerable and let his emotions show.
And let a tear come to his eye
That moment was significant because it was the first time anyone had seen Michael cry.
I used to hide out
Nanci used to find refuge in Michael's seemingly happy-go-lucky persona.
In his pretty smile
She would take comfort in his good-natured grin and cheerful outlook.
And hope it would shine me
Nanci would wish that Michael's positive attitude and sunny spirit would rub off on her.
Through the morrow
She hoped that she would wake up feeling better after basking in Michael's aura.
Until I learned the way
But Nanci eventually figured out that Michael's smile was just a facade covering up deeper, darker emotions.
It feels to be the man
Now, she understands what it's like to be in Michael's shoes.
Who sings the world a smile
Michael, despite his inner pain, continues to write and perform happy songs to the world.
Without a soul to share his sorrow
However, he doesn't have anyone to confide in about the sadness that he feels deep down.
The light here at the freeway
Nanci is back on the freeway and sees the traffic signal change from green to gold.
Well, it's turning green to gold
The green light is giving way to a golden hue, signaling a new dawn or a fresh start.
Ten miles back down the road
She's already driven ten miles from the barroom where she was earlier.
Thinking 'bout how that old bar
Nanci reflects on the bar where she was reminiscing about Michael's music earlier.
Brought Michael back to mind
Being in that familiar setting made Nanci think of Michael and his songs again.
And how I can sing his blues
Nanci realizes that she can empathize with Michael and his inner struggles.
And be smiling here inside
Despite those darker feelings, Nanci is able to find joy in the world around her and remain happy within herself.
I guess a weary soul will always
Nanci muses that even people who put on a brave face and keep smiling through tough times are still suffering deep down.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NANCI GRIFFITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind