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
Making Pies
Patty Griffin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can walk
Down the block
To TableTalk
Close my eyes
Make the pies all day
Plastic a cap
I used to mind
Now I don't care
I used to mind
Now I don't care
Cause I'm gray
Did I show you this picture of my nephew
Taken at his big birthday surprise
At my sister's house last Sunday
This is Monday and I'm making pies
I'm making pies
Making pies
Pies
Thursday nights
I go and type
Down at the church
For Father Mike
It gets me out
And he ain't hard to like
At all
Jesus stares at me
In my chair
With his big blue eyes
And his honey brown hair
And he's looking at me
Way up there
On the wall
Did I show you this picture of my sweetheart
Taken of us before the war
Of the Greek and his Italian girl
One Sunday at the shore
We tied our ribbons to the fire escape
They were taken by the birds
Who flew home to the country
As the bombs rained on the world
5am
Here I am
Walking the block
To TableTalk
You could cry or die
Or just make pies all day
I'm making pies
Making pies
Making pies
Making pies
Patty Griffin's "Making Pies" is a melancholic yet poignant song about a woman's routine life of making pies and the memories that come along with it. The song opens with the lines "It's not far, I can walk, down the block to TableTalk" where the singer reminisces about her short walk to the bakery where she works as a pie maker. She then describes her day as a routine where she spends her hours with her eyes closed making pies. The next verse talks about how the singer used to care about her appearance by wearing a plastic cap to cover her hair, but now she doesn't care since she has gray hair. The chorus "Making pies, making pies" is a reminder of her daily routine.
In the second verse, she talks about typing on Thursday nights for Father Mike at the church, which gives her an opportunity to get out of the house. She then speaks about a picture of her nephew taken at his birthday surprise and a picture of her sweetheart taken before the war. She makes reference to the ribbons that were tied to the fire escape, which were taken by the birds that flew home to the country as the bombs rained on the world. The third verse ends with "You could cry or die or just make pies all day" which sums up the tone of the song.
Overall, "Making Pies" is a heartwarming yet mournful song about everyday life, memories made, and the acceptance of a mundane daily routine. The chorus "making pies, making pies" serves as a reminder of the singer's repetitive cycle.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not far
The place where the singer goes to make pies is quite close.
I can walk
The singer can travel on foot to the place where they make pies.
Down the block
The singer's destination is merely a few blocks away.
To TableTalk
TableTalk is the specific place where the artist makes pies.
Close my eyes
The artist feels comfortable enough in this setting to relax.
Make the pies all day
The singer is quite content and happy to spend a whole day making pies.
Plastic a cap
The singer dons a cap to keep things sanitary while making pies.
On my hair
The cap is specifically placed on the artist's head.
I used to mind
The artist used to dislike wearing a cap while making pies.
Now I don't care
The artist has come to peace with wearing a cap while making pies.
Cause I'm gray
The singer's hair has turned gray.
Did I show you this picture of my nephew
The artist wants to share the photo of their nephew.
Taken at his big birthday surprise
The photo is of the singer's nephew at a birthday party.
At my sister's house last Sunday
The birthday party with the nephew took place at the singer's sister's house on the prior Sunday.
This is Monday and I'm making pies
The singer is currently engaged in making pies despite it now being Monday.
Thursday nights
On Thursday nights, the artist has a scheduled activity.
I go and type
The artist participates in a typing activity at the church on Thursday nights.
Down at the church
The typing activity takes place at the singer's church.
For Father Mike
The person who leads the typing activity is called Father Mike.
It gets me out
The typing activity provides the artist with a change of scenery.
And he ain't hard to like
The artist likes Father Mike.
Jesus stares at me
There is a painting of Jesus that is positioned in a way so that he appears to be staring at the artist.
In ny chair
The painting is located near where the singer is sitting.
With his big blue eyes
The painting of Jesus shows him with a particularly noticeable pair of blue eyes.
And his honey brown hair
The painting of Jesus also features brown hair.
And he's looking at me
The painting appears to be more focused on the singer than other people who might be in the room.
Way up there
The painting is hung high up on a wall in the room.
On the wall
The painting of Jesus is hung up in such a way that it is easily viewable, despite its height.
Did I show you this picture of my sweetheart
The artist wants to share a photograph of their loved one.
Taken of us before the war
The photograph in question was taken prior to a war that took place.
Of the Greek and his Italian girl
The singer and their sweetheart represent a mix of Greek and Italian cultural influences, respectively.
One Sunday at the shore
The couple in the photo is seen spending time at a beach.
We tied our ribbons to the fire escape
The artist and their sweetheart appear to have done something unique and interesting involving a fire escape.
They were taken by the birds
The ribbons the couple tied to a fire escape were later taken up by birds.
Who flew home to the country
The birds which took up the ribbons eventually flew to their country of origin.
As the bombs rained on the world
This event occurred during a time of war, as bombs fell from the sky.
5am
A time of day is established: 5am.
Here I am
The singer has arrived at TableTalk once again.
Walking the block
The singer is on foot while going to TableTalk.
You could cry or die
There are many different things one could do in response to difficult circumstances.
Or just make pies all day
Some people might choose to spend their day exactly how the artist does: by making pies.
Pies
A simple summary of what this song is somewhat about (as well as the singer's primary focus).
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PATRICIA J. GRIFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind