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.
The Loving Kind
Nanci Griffith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She was black and he was white
In Virginia nineteen fifty-eight
They found love amongst the hate
Well the law said they could not wed
They married anyway
The sheriff put them both in jail
They changed the heart of a nation
with their wedding vows
From the highest court in the land
Their union would lawfully stand
Simply Mildred and Richard
That's how they'll be remembered
They proved that love is truly blind
They were the loving kind.
The Lovings lived a quiet life
In their Virginia home
and while the case worked it's way through the courts
They brought three children to this world
Richard died in seventy-five
Mildred kept their love alive
'Till the spring of two thousand-eight
Fifty years beyond the hate
They changed the heart of a nation
with their wedding vows
From the highest court in the land
Their union would lawfully stand
Simply Mildred and Richard
That's how they'd be remembered
They proved that love is truly blind
They were the loving kind
Nanci Griffith's song "The Loving Kind" tells the true story of Mildred and Richard Loving, a black and white couple who fell in love in Virginia in 1958. At that time, interracial marriage was illegal in Virginia and 23 other states. Despite this, Mildred and Richard married in Washington D.C. and returned to Virginia to live as husband and wife. However, they were soon arrested and charged with violating the state's anti-miscegenation laws. The Lovings pleaded guilty and were sentenced to one year in prison, but the judge allowed them to avoid jail time if they agreed to leave Virginia and not return together for 25 years.
The Lovings decided to fight the charges and went to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for help. The case eventually made it to the Supreme Court, which ruled in 1967 that state laws banning interracial marriage were unconstitutional. This landmark decision in the case of Loving v. Virginia paved the way for legalizing interracial marriage throughout the United States.
Griffith's lyrics capture the courage and hardship of the Lovings, who stood up against discrimination and fought for their right to love and be together. They became an inspiration to many and helped to change the course of history.
Line by Line Meaning
They were the loving kind
The Lovings were a couple who, despite facing discrimination and legal barriers, stayed committed to each other and their love.
She was black and he was white
Mildred was Black and Richard was White, a difference that was condemned by society at the time.
In Virginia nineteen fifty-eight
The Lovings' story began in Virginia in 1958, a time when interracial marriage was outlawed.
They found love amongst the hate
Despite the hatred and divisiveness that surrounded their relationship and interracial relationships in general, the Lovings found love and chose to stay together.
Well the law said they could not wed
Interracial couples were prohibited by law from getting married at the time of the Lovings.
They married anyway
The Lovings defied the discriminatory law and got married anyway.
The sheriff put them both in jail
Once discovered, The Lovings were arrested and thrown in jail under the pretense that their union was unlawful.
Separated 'till they made their bail
After their arrest, The Lovings were separated until they made bail.
They changed the heart of a nation
The Lovings' case brought attention to discriminatory laws and practices surrounding interracial marriage and helped change American society's views on it.
with their wedding vows
The Lovings' decision to get married despite the legal and social barriers was an act of courage that inspired many.
From the highest court in the land
The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of The Lovings' union, making their relationship and other interracial marriages legally valid across the nation.
Their union would lawfully stand
The Lovings' union was no longer discriminated against after the court's ruling and was now recognized by law.
Simply Mildred and Richard
The Lovings were an ordinary couple fighting for their love and overcoming societal obstacles.
That's how they'll be remembered
The Lovings set a powerful example of love and courage that will always be remembered in American history.
They proved that love is truly blind
Through their steadfast commitment and sacrifice, The Lovings demonstrated that love transcends racial and social barriers.
The Lovings lived a quiet life
After their legal victory, The Lovings lived a simple and private life in their Virginia home.
In their Virginia home
The Lovings' home in Virginia held special meaning to them, where they raised their family and overcame obstacles.
and while the case worked its way through the courts
Throughout the legal battles, The Lovings continued their relationship and raised their children, serving as a testament to their commitment.
They brought three children to this world
The Lovings' love also brought three children to the world, whom they raised with care and affection.
Richard died in seventy-five
Richard Loving passed away in 1975, but his legacy and love lived on through Mildred and their family.
Mildred kept their love alive
Mildred Loving continued to honor their relationship and legacy even after Richard's death.
'Till the spring of two thousand-eight
Mildred Loving passed away in 2008, marking the end of a life dedicated to love, justice, and equality.
Fifty years beyond the hate
Despite the discrimination and hate The Lovings faced, they still managed to celebrate 50 years of marriage and build a beautiful family, inspiring generations to come.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NANCI GRIFFITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind