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
Every Little Bit
Patty Griffin Lyrics
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Disguised and disfigured and you thought I tasted like rain
There's nothing here but a shadow nothin here
Now you know
Now you know
Now you know
Now you know
There's nothin here but the shadow, and now you know
I spit, I spit in the eye
I tear, I tear out my heart
and I scatter the bits
I stay unseen by the light
I stay untold by the truth
I'm sold by a lie
By this I am able in all of my travels
To make these memories quit
But tonight I clearly recall every little bit
I can chew like a cannibal
I can yell like a cat
I even had you believing that I really really like it like that
But there was never a moment
Not a moment
Now you know
Now you know
Now you know
Now you know
You ever got within a hundred million miles of my soul
I spit, I spit in the eye
I tear, I tear out my heart
And I scatter the bits
I stay unseen by the light
I stay untold by the truth
I'm sold by a lie
By this I am able in all of my travels
To make these memories quit
But tonight I clearly recall every little bit
You left open the window till the morning
And the winter walked in
Reality fired her wooden bullet
Splintered under our skin
They say I'm walking on freedom
This is freedom
Now I know
Now I know
Now I know
Now I know
I still don't blame you for leaving,baby
It's cold living with ghosts
I spit, I spit in the eye
I tear, I tear out my heart
and I scatter the bits
I stay unseen by the light
I stay untold by the truth
I'm sold by a lie
By this I am able in all of my travels
To make these memories quit
But tonight I clearly recall every little bit
The song Every Little Bit by Patty Griffin talks about a relationship that has lost its love and authenticity. The first verse describes how a morning has turned their love into shame, and how the taste of rain is now associated with the singer's disguise and disfigured self. The chorus reveals that there's nothing left in the relationship except for its shadow, and the other person now knows it too. The second verse talks about how the singer can act like a cannibal, yell like a cat, and even have the other person believe that they like it like that. But there was never a moment when they were truly themselves with the other person, and now the other person knows they never got even close to their soul. The bridge suggests that the other person left the window open till morning and allowed winter to walk in, symbolizing the coldness in the relationship. The line 'Reality fired her wooden bullet, splintered under our skin’ could probably mean a harsh, cold reality that made them both realize that their feelings for each other have been fake all along. The final chorus talks about how the singer doesn't blame the other person for leaving and that they have now learned that it's cold to live with ghosts.
The lyrics of Every Little Bit deliver a powerful message about how pretending to be someone you're not in a relationship would only backfire eventually, leaving behind a shadow of a relationship. The song also touches upon the topic of how freedom doesn't always come in the form of a relationship and that living with ghosts can be cold.
Line by Line Meaning
It's funny how a morning turns a love to shame
It's strange how quickly things can turn sour, especially after a night of passion or intimacy.
Disguised and disfigured and you thought I tasted like rain
I may have seemed beautiful and delicate, but inside, I was damaged and my love was bitter, like a storm.
There's nothing here but a shadow nothin here
There's no substance left in this relationship, only emptiness and darkness.
Now you know
Now you know
Now you know
Now you know
There's nothin here but the shadow, and now you know
I want you to understand that there's nothing real between us, and I hope you finally realize this.
I spit, I spit in the eye
I tear, I tear out my heart
and I scatter the bits
I'm furious and hurt, so I'm lashing out and destroying myself in the process.
I stay unseen by the light
I stay untold by the truth
I'm sold by a lie
I'm hiding from the truth and letting myself be deceived because it's easier than facing the reality.
By this I am able in all of my travels
To make these memories quit
But tonight I clearly recall every little bit
I've been trying to forget these painful memories, but tonight they're flooding back and haunting me.
I can chew like a cannibal
I can yell like a cat
I even had you believing that I really really like it like that
I'm capable of being cruel and manipulative, and I fooled you into thinking that's what I wanted.
But there was never a moment
Not a moment
Now you know
Now you know
Now you know
Now you know
You ever got within a hundred million miles of my soul
I never let you get close to my true self, and now that you're gone, you'll never truly know me.
You left open the window till the morning
And the winter walked in
Reality fired her wooden bullet
Splintered under our skin
We left ourselves vulnerable and exposed, and the harsh reality of our situation wounded us deeply.
They say I'm walking on freedom
This is freedom
Now I know
Now I know
Now I know
Now I know
I still don't blame you for leaving,baby
It's cold living with ghosts
Despite the pain and loneliness, I understand that leaving was the right thing to do, and I don't hold any grudges against you. But it's difficult to live with the memories of what once was.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IRWIN LEVINE, LARRY RUSSELL BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind