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.
Party Girl
Nanci Griffith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now the party's over
she was a beauty
And that's changing too
Now she's barefoot and having babies
She was a party girl
Now the party's over
After working hard all day
And she's crying into her pillow
'cause it's night time
and she want's to play
She was a party girl
Now the party's over
she was a beauty
And that's changing too
Now she's barefoot and having babies
She was a party girl
Now the party's over
She can't cry to mama
She can't go home to daddy any more
They both tried to warn her
she was throwing away her sweet young life
When she walked out that door
She was a party girl
Now the party's over
she was a beauty
And that's changing too
Now she's barefoot and having babies
She was a party girl
Now the party's over
In Nanci Griffith's song Party Girl, the lyrics describe the life of a woman who used to live a carefree existence as a party girl. The song paints a picture of her transformation from a fun-loving, attractive young woman to a mother living a quiet life at home. The lyrics suggest that the woman may now regret her past choices and long for the excitement and freedom of her former life.
The first verse sets the scene by introducing the woman as someone who used to be the life of the party. But now, that has all changed. She no longer parties and even her physical appearance has changed - she is no longer the "beauty" she once was. Instead, she has settled down and is raising children, living a much more subdued life. The second verse gives a glimpse into what her life is like now. Her husband works hard all day and is now watching TV, while she is left alone feeling sad and isolated. She wants to go out and have fun, but is unable to do so.
The third verse reveals that she no longer has anyone to turn to for comfort. She cannot cry to her mother or go home to her father - they had warned her about the dangers of the party lifestyle, but she didn't listen. She is now living with the consequences of her choices, and the party is well and truly over.
Overall, Griffith's lyrics in Party Girl convey a sense of regret and remorse for choices made in youth, and the consequences of abandoning caution for a life more carefree.
Line by Line Meaning
She was a party girl
She used to go out and have fun with friends, perhaps to the point of excess.
Now the party's over
She no longer engages in those wild and carefree activities.
She was a beauty
In the past, she was physically attractive.
And that's changing too
Her physical appearance is undergoing change, possibly as a result of motherhood and aging.
Now she's barefoot and having babies
She is a mother, spending her time managing a household and raising children.
She can't cry to mama
She cannot seek comfort or advice from her mother.
She can't go home to daddy any more
She cannot return to her father's house, perhaps because she is married and has her own family or because of a strained relationship.
They both tried to warn her
Her parents cautioned her about the path she was taking.
she was throwing away her sweet young life
Her parents believed that she was wasting her youth and potential by engaging in reckless behavior.
When she walked out that door
She left her parents' home and lifestyle to pursue her own choices.
Now her husband watches TV
Her partner spends his evenings relaxing in front of the television.
After working hard all day
He has spent his day laboring at a job, likely to provide for his family.
And she's crying into her pillow
She is emotional, possibly feeling overwhelmed or unfulfilled with her current circumstances.
'cause it's night time
These feelings may be exacerbated by the quiet and darkness of the nighttime.
and she want's to play
She longs for the days when she could let loose and enjoy herself, without the responsibilities of motherhood.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DEE MOELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind