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
Nail In The Coffin
Patty Griffin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They say he died pretty, I think they were deceived
I've seen a picture of that car
Nothing that pretty in there
Look at the mirror, you'll see a new lie
Yeah, you gonna look at the time, you're past thirty-nine
The Rolling Stones' kids have grown up and all moved out
Stay good looking and have something to say, babe
It ain't easy seizing the day from the seat of a hearse
Now he got a nail in the coffin and another one would pop right up
He met a nice woman, she was real pretty
So they moved in together somewhere out of the city
Oh had a little child before you could say, "In A Gadda Da Vida"
All he ever wanted was the wind in his hair
Now he's shingling roofs, patching holes in the stairs
Isn't like he wanted money or to be a world leader
Just wanted to die young in a big big way
Stay good looking and have something to say, baby
It ain't easy seizing the day from the seat of a hearse
Now he got a nail in the coffin and another one would pop right up
You take the high road
And I'll take the low road
And I'll be there before you
You don't need a maid to clean that ivory tower
You don't need a contract for singing in your shower
The devil don't want your soul, neither does the lord
You might look at your life and just see a mess, honey
You might look at your life and need to reassess, baby
You might look at your life, see what you can afford
He just wanted to die young in a big, big way
Stay good looking and have something to say
Oh, it ain't easy seizing the day from the seat of a hearse
He'd get a nail in the coffin and another one would pop right up
He'd get a nail in the coffin yeah
Another one would pop right up
The song "Nail In The Coffin" by Patty Griffin explores the concept of the desire to die young and make an impact. The first verse discusses the myth of James Dean, who died at a young age, but in reality, the way he died wasn't pretty despite popular belief. The singer points out the irony of the Rolling Stones' kids growing up and moving out, while their parents still try to live the rockstar lifestyle. The chorus of the song repeats the idea that the person the song is about just wanted to die young in a big way, with something to say and to stay good looking.
The second verse adds more details to the person's life. He met a nice woman, had a child, but then ended up shingling roofs and patching holes in the stairs. The singer emphasizes that the person didn't want money or power - just the thrill of making an impact while being young and good-looking. The final verse turns the message towards the listener - that they don't need a maid to clean their ivory tower or a contract to sing in their shower. The message is clear – life is what you make of it and it doesn't matter how much wealth or power one has achieved.
Line by Line Meaning
James Dean, it was hard to believe
James Dean's fame and youth made it difficult to believe that he died young.
They say he died pretty, I think they were deceived
Though they say he died beautifully, it's likely just a deception.
I've seen a picture of that car
Patty Griffin has seen a photo of the car that caused James Dean's death.
Nothing that pretty in there
The contents of the car were not so beautiful and were likely gruesome.
Look at the mirror, you'll see a new lie
When you look in the mirror, you see a false image of yourself, a new lie.
Yeah, you gonna look at the time, you're past thirty-nine
As you check the time, you realize you're over the age of 39.
The Rolling Stones' kids have grown up and all moved out
The children of The Rolling Stones are now grown and no longer living with their parents.
He just wanted to die young in a big, big way
He wanted to make a significant impact and die young while still looking good.
Stay good looking and have something to say, babe
He wanted to have a voice and a message while still maintaining his good looks.
It ain't easy seizing the day from the seat of a hearse
It's difficult to live life fully while constantly considering one's own mortality.
Now he got a nail in the coffin and another one would pop right up
Although he's died, there will always be someone new to take his place.
He met a nice woman, she was real pretty
He met a kind and attractive woman.
So they moved in together somewhere out of the city
They moved to a place outside of the busy city where they could live together.
Oh had a little child before you could say, "In A Gadda Da Vida"
They had a child quickly, before you could even say the name of a popular song.
All he ever wanted was the wind in his hair
He wanted to live life without any constraints and feel the freedom of the wind in his hair.
Now he's shingling roofs, patching holes in the stairs
He's now working in manual labor jobs like roofing and patching up stairs.
Isn't like he wanted money or to be a world leader
He didn't have aspirations of wealth or political power.
You take the high road
You take the more lucrative route.
And I'll take the low road
I'll take the less profitable way.
And I'll be there before you
My way will get me to where I'm going quicker than yours.
You don't need a maid to clean that ivory tower
You don't need to have wealth or status to maintain an extravagant lifestyle.
You don't need a contract for singing in your shower
You don't need approval from anyone to sing in the privacy of your own shower.
The devil don't want your soul, neither does the lord
Neither the devil nor God wants your soul; it's up to you to determine your own fate.
You might look at your life and just see a mess, honey
When you assess your life, you may see it as being in disarray.
You might look at your life and need to reassess, baby
You may need to take a step back and reevaluate your life.
You might look at your life, see what you can afford
Look at what you can make happen based on your current situation.
He'd get a nail in the coffin yeah
Despite his wishes, he eventually met his demise.
Another one would pop right up
Despite his passing, there will always be someone else coming up behind him.
Contributed by Gavin G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lindy Lou
Simply the best, better than all the rest!!!