After a short marriage which ended in 1992, Griffin began playing in Boston coffee houses and was scouted by A&M Records who signed Griffin on the strength of her demo tape. This resulted in her debut album Living With Ghosts -- a set of demos featuring only Ms. Griffin and her guitar -- which garnered critical acclaim in 1996. Her sophomore album, Flaming Red, demonstrated a more rocking, full-band sound. The ill-fated Silver Bell album was never released by her record label, however, and the label terminated her recording contract shortly after that. Many of the songs from Silver Bell were re-recorded for subsequent albums.
After switching to ATO Records Griffin brought out three albums in rapid succession: 1000 Kisses and Impossible Dream, which were both nominated for Grammy awards, and A Kiss in Time, a well-received live album. In March 2007, she released Children Running Through to great critical acclaim.
She has penned a wide variety of songs - Long Ride Home, Top of the World, Tony, Forgiveness, Chief, Mad Mission--that touch her listeners deeply. A number of high profile artists have covered Patty's songs, including the Dixie Chicks, Bette Midler, Emmylou Harris, The Wreckers, Solomon Burke and pop star Kelly Clarkson; these have brought her exposure in the more mainstream pop and country worlds outside of folk music circles. Upon hearing Solomon Burke's cover of one of her tunes, she said she almost didn't feel worthy of singing it anymore.
Following her collaboration with Mavis Staples on a tune for a compilation album Peter York, suggested Griffin make an album of gospel songs. Griffin agreed on the condition that Buddy Miller, a friend and bandmate, produced the record. Downtown Church was recorded at the Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville with a 2010 release date. The album features long-time friends Buddy and Julie Miller, as well as Shawn Colvin and Emmylou Harris. It also includes songs by Hank Williams, Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton, and "All Creatures of Our God and King," a song accredited to St. Francis of Assisi.
Griffin featured on Robert Plant's solo album, Band of Joy, which was released in September 2010
Griffin's album American Kid was released on May 7, 2013
Breaking Skin
Patty Griffin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A fear so dark as the dark
In the dirty strangled dress she wears
She will never hold a spark
She's losing patience and breaking skin
And waiting for the end of the world to begin
And the world will swallow her up and then
Everyone will know the shame
Where does the arrow fly when she is gone
Where are these broken wands coming from
Squeezed between the ornaments on the lawn
Where is this good woman gone
Well he gave me this half empty page
Wiped my tears away in an angry rage
All the babies regardless of age
Everyone will know the shame
He's losing patience and he's breaking skin
And waiting for the end of the world to begin
The world will swallow her up and then
Everyone will know the shame
Here it is and I'll give it there
And if you give me your pain
we'll both have a pair
Nobody's saved and nobody's spared
And everyone knows the shame
I am losing patience, and breaking skin
And waiting for the end of the world to begin
And the world will swallow me up and then, everyone will know the shame
In Patty Griffin's song Breaking Skin, the lyrics paint a vivid picture of a woman who is struggling with fear and shame. The opening lines describe the woman as someone who is hiding, wearing a dirty and strangled dress. The fear she feels is so intense that it is compared to darkness. The narrative in the song then shifts to a male character who seems to be associated with the woman. He is described as someone who is angry and is losing his patience, also breaking his skin. Both characters seem to be waiting for the end of the world to begin, indicating that they feel as if they are at the end of their ropes.
The following lines describe broken wands and ornaments, a symbol of something good that has been broken or misplaced. The singer then speaks about a man who gave her an empty page, wiping her tears away in an angry rage. The imagery creates a sense of sorrow, desperation, and the feeling that everything is falling apart. The last lines speak about giving and sharing pain and how no one is saved or spared. The characters in the song seem to be struggling to bear the weight of their hardships, but there is no escape. They are waiting for the end of the world, and when it comes, everyone will know their shame.
Line by Line Meaning
Who's that woman who's hiding there
The singer is wondering about the identity of a woman who is hiding.
A fear so dark as the dark
The woman is afraid of something very dark and ominous.
In the dirty strangled dress she wears
The woman is wearing a dress that is dirty and looks like it is constricting her.
She will never hold a spark
The woman is unable to find any hope or inspiration.
She's losing patience and breaking skin
The woman is becoming agitated and is starting to feel physically uncomfortable.
And waiting for the end of the world to begin
The woman is fearful that something terrible is going to happen.
And the world will swallow her up and then
The woman feels like she will be consumed or destroyed by the world.
Everyone will know the shame
The woman feels like her situation is embarrassing and shameful to others.
Where does the arrow fly when she is gone
The artist is asking where the source of danger is coming from when the woman is not present.
Where are these broken wands coming from
The artist is asking where the broken objects are coming from.
Squeezed between the ornaments on the lawn
The broken objects are crushed among decorations on the lawn.
Where is this good woman gone
The artist is wondering where a woman who was previously present has gone.
Well he gave me this half empty page
Someone gave the singer a partially empty piece of paper.
Wiped my tears away in an angry rage
The person who gave the paper also wiped away the singer's tears in an angry way.
All the babies regardless of age
People of all ages are affected by the situation.
He's losing patience and he's breaking skin
The person referred to in the previous lines is becoming agitated and uncomfortable.
And waiting for the end of the world to begin
The person is fearful that something terrible is going to happen.
The world will swallow her up and then
The person feels like the world will consume or destroy the woman referred to earlier.
Everyone will know the shame
The person feels like the situation is embarrassing and shameful to others.
Here it is and I'll give it there
The artist has something to give to someone else.
And if you give me your pain
The artist is asking for someone else's pain.
we'll both have a pair
The artist and the other person will both have something in common.
Nobody's saved and nobody's spared
No one is safe from the troubles that are occurring.
And everyone knows the shame
The situation is embarrassing and shameful to everyone involved.
I am losing patience, and breaking skin
The singer is becoming agitated and is starting to feel physically uncomfortable.
And waiting for the end of the world to begin
The singer is fearful that something terrible is going to happen.
And the world will swallow me up and then, everyone will know the shame
The singer feels like the world will consume or destroy them and the situation will be embarrassing and shameful to everyone involved.
Contributed by Madelyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Carol_65
Sad that I have lived 54 years of my life without ever having heard of Patty Griffin.
Thank you Melissa Etheridge. I found this while chasing Melissa duets on YouTube.
@brucerighter5539
Carol, Patty is an undiscovered gem for many people (unfortunately). I saw her on Sessions at West 54 decades ago and was totally enthralled for years. My channel has a number of very early performances, so feel free to poke around and see what interests you.
@crosita1
Oh I am so excited for you to get to experience all her wonderful music now. She has so many amazing songs.
@jgp7591
LOVE Patty Griffin. A magnificent singer, songwriter and story teller.
@OurFamilyInMotion
I watch this video every so often and it never fails to inspire me. Patty Griffin is one of our true songwriting treasures.
@roberic66
If you’re ever having a tough day, put on a Patty Griffin tune and let your heavy heart be unburdened.
@deniseukena1027
My husband is in the middle of a severe bout of depression after literal years of him battling it. It's felt like we are just a breath away from the breaking point in these past few days, and then I stumble across this song for the first time on Monday. Hearing someone else say what's rattling around in my heart and head gives me enough strength to keep hanging on.
@LoriReardon-yc9vn
Sending peace and light. Hoping that this beautiful, heartfelt song was able to encourage and sustain you through rough waters.
@lovingmayberry307
Patty Griffin, one of the greatest song writers of all time!
@EduardoGarcia-qe8st
She’s MAGIC 😍