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
Mad Mission
Patty Griffin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But we were drinking scotch
Bartender turned on a movie
Everybody turned to watch
And every single eye was gleaming
As he reached the final scene
Well, at least mine did
Here's lookin' at you, kid
It's a mad mission
Under difficult conditions
not everybody makes it
To the loving cup
It's a mad mission
But I got the ambition
Mad, mad mission
sign me up
I think I've seen the look before,yes,
it's kind of non-committal
It says come hither, baby, but then he's hard wood to whittle
it says it don't mean a thing, but still, somebody does
He'd like you to join the club that likes to say
there's no such thing as love and
It's a mad mission
Under difficult conditions
not everybody makes it
To the loving cup
It's a mad mission
But I got the ambition
Mad, mad mission
sign me up
Sometimes you find yourself
flying low at night
Flying blind and looking for
Any sign of light
You're cold and scared, and all alone
You'd do anything just to make it home
It's a mad mission
Under difficult conditions
not everybody makes it
To the loving cup
It's a mad mission
But I got the ambition
Mad, mad mission
sign me up
Sign me up
The lyrics of Patty Griffin's song "Mad Mission" begin with the singer being in a group of people at a bar, drinking scotch, and watching a movie. The singer notices how everyone's eyes light up as the movie reaches its final scene, and the line "Here's looking at you, kid" is spoken. The chorus of the song repeatedly emphasizes that life is a "mad mission" with difficult conditions, and while not everyone succeeds in reaching the "loving cup" (perhaps a metaphor for love or success), the singer has the ambition to try. The second verse describes a man who appears to be sending mixed signals about love, and the chorus repeats the same message of determination to continue on this "mad mission."
The final verse of the song changes the tone, as the lyrics describe feeling lost and alone "flying low at night," searching for any sign of light to guide them home. This verse puts the themes of the song into perspective, as the "mad mission" can refer to the journey of life itself, which is unpredictable and challenging. The last line simply says "Sign me up," implying that despite the difficulties, the singer is willing to keep going and take on whatever challenges come their way.
Line by Line Meaning
We were drinking like the Irish
We were heavily drinking alcohol
But we were drinking scotch
Specifically, we were drinking scotch whiskey
Bartender turned on a movie
The bartender changed the channel to show a movie
Everybody turned to watch
Everyone in the bar stopped what they were doing to watch the movie
And every single eye was gleaming
Everyone's eyes were shining with excitement
As he reached the final scene
As the movie approached its ending scene
Well, at least mine did
At least the singer's eyes shone with excitement as the movie ended
Here's lookin' at you, kid
A reference to the movie Casablanca, specifically its iconic line said to a woman named Ingrid Bergman
It's a mad mission
What the singer is about to describe is a crazy endeavor
Under difficult conditions
The crazy endeavor is going to be extremely challenging
not everybody makes it
Not everyone who tries to accomplish this crazy task succeeds
To the loving cup
The final goal or prize of this crazy mission
But I got the ambition
Despite the craziness and difficulty, the singer possesses the drive to embark on this mission
Mad, mad mission
Repeating that this proposed mission is utterly insane
sign me up
Despite the risks, the singer is ready and eager to take on this mad mission
I think I've seen the look before, yes,
The singer recognizes a certain expression on someone's face
it's kind of non-committal
The expression is ambiguous and unclear
It says come hither, baby, but then he's hard wood to whittle
The person seems interested but ultimately proves difficult to pursue
it says it don't mean a thing, but still, somebody does
The expression implies that love doesn't exist, but someone still wants it
He'd like you to join the club that likes to say there's no such thing as love and
The person wants the singer to agree that love doesn't exist
Sometimes you find yourself flying low at night
The singer describes feeling lost and vulnerable at times
Flying blind and looking for any sign of light
Metaphorically speaking, the singer is searching for direction or hope
You're cold and scared, and all alone
The singer feels isolated and afraid
You'd do anything just to make it home
The singer would go to great lengths to find safety or comfort
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: PATTY GRIFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind