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
Stay on the Ride
Patty Griffin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting on the bus, he's getting kinda cold
Bus finally gets there, he got nowhere to sit down
And the driver said, "You can stand right here behind me or wait for the next one to come around"
And the old man says, "That's okay, I'll stand
I might look like a little old man to you
But I've been riding this bus for years and years and years
I don't even know where it's going to"
Old man says, "No, I don't, do you?"
Driver says, "You don't know where this bus is going to?"
Old man says, "I just want it to get me through
Hey, I'm staying on the ride, it's gonna take me somewhere
Staying on the ride, it's gonna take me somewhere
Somewhere, somewhere, somewhere, somewhere"
The bus is rolling along, outside it's looking kinda strange
The Earth is shaking, the clouds are breaking
Everything is blue where it was gray
A thousand rivers flood over fields of snow
The driver looks back in the mirror for the old man
"Where did he go, where did he go?
Oh, there he is
Hey, old man, old man, old man, you still don't know?"
And the old man says, "No, I don't son, but I'm happy to go"
Hey, "I'm staying on the ride, it's gonna take me somewhere"
Hey, he said, "I'm staying on the ride, it's gonna take me somewhere
Somewhere, somewhere, somewhere, somewhere
I was born with no name, knowing nothing, still I don't
Somebody said, 'You need a name, I'm gonna give you a name'
And I said, 'No, you won't,' I said, 'No, you won't'"
Oh, "You can let me off here, son, thank you for the ride"
And the driver said, "This is the middle of nowhere, sir,"
He pulls off to the side
And the old man says, "It might look that way to you, maybe it is"
Old man says, "It might look that way to you, son, maybe it is,"
And he says, "Stay on the ride, it's gonna take you somewhere,"
Hey, hey, he said, "Stay on the ride, it's gonna take you somewhere
Somewhere, somewhere, somewhere, somewhere
It always takes you somewhere, gonna take you somewhere
It always takes you somewhere, gotta take you somewhere
It always takes you somewhere, gonna take you somewhere
It always takes you somewhere, gonna take you somewhere"
The song "Stay on the Ride" by Patty Griffin tells the story of an old man waiting at a bus stop, unsure of where the bus is going to take him. The driver tells him he can stand behind him or wait for another bus, but the old man insists on staying on the ride. The song then takes a surreal turn as the bus takes the old man on a journey through strange and vivid landscapes. The old man remains calm in the face of the unknown, repeating the mantra of "stay on the ride," suggesting that life is much the same as the bus ride - we don't always know where it's taking us, but we have to stay on board and ride it out.
On a broader level, "Stay on the Ride" can be seen as a meditation on the human condition. Like the old man on the bus, we are all travelers on a journey with an unknown destination. Life can be chaotic, unpredictable and at times, downright scary; yet, we must keep going. We may not know where life is taking us, but we must keep moving forward, embracing the unknown, and trusting that the ride will take us somewhere.
This song is a powerful and emotive reminder that life is an adventure. We never know what's going to happen next, but we have to stay on the ride and trust that our destination will reveal itself in its own time.
Line by Line Meaning
Little old man, little old man staring down the road
An old man waits for a bus to take him somewhere, unsure of where he is headed
Waiting on the bus, he's getting kinda cold
The old man patiently waits for the bus to arrive, despite the discomfort of the cold weather
Bus finally gets there, he got nowhere to sit down
When the bus arrives, there are no available seats for the old man to rest in
And the driver said, "You can stand right here behind me or wait for the next one to come around"
The driver gives the old man a choice to stand behind him or wait for the next bus to come
And the old man says, "That's okay, I'll stand
The old man decides to stand, despite the discomfort, to continue his journey
I might look like a little old man to you
The old man points out how he may appear insignificant to others
But I've been riding this bus for years and years and years
The old man has been on this journey for a long time and is comfortable with where it takes him
I don't even know where it's going to"
The old man is content with not knowing where the bus is headed, as long as it takes him somewhere
And the driver says, "You don't know where this bus is going to?"
The driver is surprised that the old man does not know the destination of the bus
Old man says, "No, I don't, do you?"
The old man poses the same question back to the driver
Driver says, "You don't know where this bus is going to?"
The driver reiterates his surprise at the old man's lack of knowledge of the bus's destination
Old man says, "I just want it to get me through
The old man simply wants the bus to take him somewhere, regardless of where that may be
Hey, I'm staying on the ride, it's gonna take me somewhere
The old man is confident that as long as he stays on the bus, it will eventually take him to a destination
The bus is rolling along, outside it's looking kinda strange
The surroundings outside the bus appear different and strange as the journey continues
The Earth is shaking, the clouds are breaking
The environment around the bus is changing and shifting
Everything is blue where it was gray
The landscape has changed colors, perhaps indicating a shift in mood or energy
A thousand rivers flood over fields of snow
The imagery is surreal, suggesting that the journey is not simply physical, but also psychological and emotional
The driver looks back in the mirror for the old man
The driver checks on the old man, curious about his reaction to the strange surroundings
"Where did he go, where did he go?
The driver panics momentarily when he does not see the old man
Oh, there he is
The driver spots the old man and is relieved that he is still on the bus
Hey, old man, old man, old man, you still don't know?"
The driver asks if the old man still does not know where the journey is headed
And the old man says, "No, I don't son, but I'm happy to go"
The old man remains content with not knowing the destination, as long as he is on the ride
Hey, "I'm staying on the ride, it's gonna take me somewhere"
The old man reminds himself and the driver that as long as he stays on the bus, it will take him somewhere
I was born with no name, knowing nothing, still I don't
The old man reflects on his life and how he has always been content with not knowing everything
Somebody said, 'You need a name, I'm gonna give you a name'
Others around the old man have tried to impose labels or expectations on him
And I said, 'No, you won't,' I said, 'No, you won't'
The old man refuses to let others define him or tell him who he is
Oh, "You can let me off here, son, thank you for the ride"
The old man decides to get off the bus, thanking the driver for the journey
And the driver said, "This is the middle of nowhere, sir,"
The driver is surprised that the old man would want to exit in the middle of nowhere
He pulls off to the side
The driver stops the bus to let the old man off
And the old man says, "It might look that way to you, maybe it is"
The old man is unfazed by the driver's comment, reminding him that perspective is subjective
Old man says, "It might look that way to you, son, maybe it is,"
The old man reiterates his point about the subjective nature of perspective
And he says, "Stay on the ride, it's gonna take you somewhere,"
The old man encourages the driver, and by extension, the listener, to stay on the journey, as it will lead to a destination
Hey, hey, he said, "Stay on the ride, it's gonna take you somewhere
The old man repeats his encouragement to stay on the journey, emphasizing its transformative power
It always takes you somewhere, gonna take you somewhere
The old man affirms that the journey, no matter how uncertain, will always lead somewhere
It always takes you somewhere, gotta take you somewhere
The old man emphasizes the importance of staying on the ride, as it will ultimately lead to a destination
It always takes you somewhere, gonna take you somewhere
The old man reinforces his point that the journey will always have a destination, even if it is not immediately apparent
It always takes you somewhere, gonna take you somewhere"
The old man concludes the song with a hopeful reminder that the journey will always lead to somewhere, as long as one stays on the ride
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PATRICIA J. GRIFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind