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.
Where Would I Be
Nanci Griffith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would I be now without you?
Without an angel,
Watching out for me?
Took a long, long time,
For me to realise,
All my faith in you,
Was so justified.
Tell me where,
Would I be now without you?
Where would I turn,
To find the truth I need?
I could never go back,
To where I used to be.
I've got so used to having,
All the love you give to me.
Tell me where,
Would I be without you now?
And every time I stumble or fall,
I call your name and you'll be there.
Or if I should smile too high,
I know your love will reach me anywhere.
I could never go back,
To where I used to be.
I've got so used to having,
All the love you give to me.
Tell me where,
Would I be now without you?
Would I be lost,
Just drifting out to sea?
If I could start all over,
I wouldn't change a thing.
'Cos I know you'll always,
Be there through thick and thin.
Tell me where,
Would I be without you now?
In Nanci Griffith's song "Where Would I Be," she reflects on the impact of a significant person in her life. The lyrics are addressed to that person, asking where she would be without them. The person, referred to as an "angel," has been watching out for Griffith and has justified her faith in them. Griffith also talks about how she has become accustomed to the love that this person gives her and how she couldn't go back to where she used to be without them.
The song highlights the importance of having someone to rely on in difficult times. As Griffith mentions, every time she stumbles or falls, she knows that this person will be there to help her up. She recognizes that their love is always present, reaching her wherever she may be.
The lyrics are hopeful and grateful, expressing a deep appreciation for the person's role in Griffith's life. The song invites listeners to reflect on their own relationships and consider who they rely on and cherish.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me where,
Asking for the singer's possible fate without the person being referred to
Would I be now without you?
Wondering what the singer's life would look like without the person being referred to
Without an angel, Watching out for me?
Implies that the person being referred to is like an angel who always looks after the singer
Took a long, long time, For me to realise, All my faith in you, Was so justified.
Reveals that it took the artist a while to trust the person being referred to but eventually realized that trusting them was right all along
Where would I turn, To find the truth I need?
Asking where the artist would go for the truth if the person being referred to wasn't there
I could never go back, To where I used to be.
Unwillingness to move back to a time when the person being referred to wasn't present in their life
I've got so used to having, All the love you give to me.
Indicates a deep appreciation for the love and care the person being referred to provides
And every time I stumble or fall, I call your name and you'll be there.
The person being referred to is always there for the artist whenever they need help
Or if I should smile too high, I know your love will reach me anywhere.
The love and support from the person being referred to are always present even during moments of happiness and joy
Would I be lost, Just drifting out to sea?
Asking if the person being referred to is the anchor that keeps the artist's life stable and prevents them from drifting away aimlessly
If I could start all over, I wouldn't change a thing.
Acknowledging the importance and value of the person being referred to and wouldn't change any part of their relationship
'Cos I know you'll always, Be there through thick and thin.
Suggesting the strong bond the artist shares with the person being referred to and trust that they will always be by their side.
Tell me where, Would I be without you now?
Reiterating the importance of the person being referred to in the singer's life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL CARRACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind