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
That Kind Of Lonely
Patty Griffin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every room is in disorder
Now the nightingale won't sing for us
We scared her away
Well you asking me a question
And didn't wait to hear the answer
As we're following the dancer
Every strand has come unwound
Every heart is all worn down
Everyone in this room wanted to be somewhere else
So tonight I found a key
And drive away a little early
Is the last time I wanna be that kind of lonely.
There's a scar below your left eye
Fades away as you get older
Isn't like you never told her
What kind of man you really are
I don't know why it's so surprising
Now the sun is almost rising
Cause it's early in the morning
And the moon's still standing tall
Every strand has come unwound
Every heart is all worn down
Everyone in this room wanted to be somewhere else
So tonight I found a key and drive away a little early
It's the last time I wanna be that kind of lonely
That kind of lonely
That kind of lonely
That kind of lonely
That kind of lonely
That kind of lonely
That kind of lonely
That kind of lonely
Patty Griffin's "That Kind of Lonely" starts with an image of a party gone awry. The nightingale, which represents happiness and light, has been driven off, and every room is in disorder. The following lines about not waiting for an answer and following a dancer down a flight of stairs depict how easily people can be led astray from what they truly want in their lives. Everyone at the party is unhappy and wishes they were somewhere else. The singer, rather than staying and feeling "that kind of lonely," has found a key and driven away a little early.
In the second verse, the scene changes to a more intimate setting. The singer notices a scar below their partner's eye that they hadn't noticed before. The scar fades with time, but the knowledge of who the partner truly is remains constant. The singer is not surprised when the sun rises, or at the actions of the partner they know so well, as they have seen it all before. The song ends with a reiteration of the chorus, emphasizing the dangers of being "that kind of lonely."
The song's lyrics offer a sardonic view of social gatherings, where people often put on facades to fit in with each other. The nightingale's absence implies that everyone at the party is only pretending to be happy. The song discourages people from going to social gatherings to seek genuine connections and encourages leaving situations that prevent them from being themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, this party's turned a corner
The party has taken a negative turn
Every room is in disorder
All rooms are chaotic
Now the nightingale won't sing for us
The nightingale is scared by our behavior
We scared her away
We frightened the nightingale
Well, you're asking me a question
You asked me something
And didn't wait to hear the answer
You didn't wait for the answer
As we're following the dancer
We are pursuing the dancer
Falling down a flight of stairs
As we fall down the stairs
Every strand has come unwound
Everything is falling apart
Every heart is all worn down
Everyone is emotionally exhausted
Everyone in this room wanted to be somewhere else
No one wants to be here
So tonight I found a key
I found a way out
And drive away a little early
I left before the end
Is the last time I wanna be that kind of lonely.
I don't want to feel this kind of loneliness anymore.
There's a scar below your left eye
There's a scar beneath your eye
Fades away as you get older
The scar disappears with age
Isn't like you never told her
It's not like you never let her know
What kind of man you really are
What kind of person you truly are
I don't know why it's so surprising
I'm not sure why this is unexpected
Now the sun is almost rising
The sun is about to come up
Cause it's early in the morning
Because it's still early
And the moon's still standing tall
The moon is still out
That kind of lonely
This particular kind of loneliness
That kind of lonely
This particular kind of loneliness
That kind of lonely
This particular kind of loneliness
That kind of lonely
This particular kind of loneliness
That kind of lonely
This particular kind of loneliness
That kind of lonely
This particular kind of loneliness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PATRICIA J. GRIFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steven Bailey
If to become one with that suicide path
I’m never ever gonna die
Wrap words ‘round some threadbare
Picture painted by the dead
I do not struggle to forget what you want
Bullshit piles up before we can even smile
Scared and hungry, breakin’ stones for light
Lifted into another hearse, I was as free as beauty
Washed tears away from your cheeks
I let you down, I gave up as the darkness came
If maybe the will of heaven may bring it back
Pouring vodka on a Tuesday afternoon
We as one, we as many broken parts
Seems the best answer left with the red tail lights
I was on the verge of waiting longer
Colored my flesh in leather made loneliness
You caught me blessing chaos, hurricanes coming
Fought more than I thought I would, or was Judas
Singing whispers to me..about you
Ravaged and withered, pushed out to sea…here I go
(((((something I wrote as i listened to this amazing song))))
Jinet Welsh
You have a gift!
SuzeEQ
Wow!! So it’s 2022 and. I’m a little late to the party - pun intended- but I hope you’re well and still writing. As my fiction / creative writing professor once told me “ don’t deprive the world of your words”
MrSeaCheese
Lyrics
Well this party's turned a corner
Every room is in disorder
Now the nightingale won't sing for us
We scared her away
Well you asking me a question
And didn't wait to hear the answer
As we're following the dancer
Falling down a flight of stairs
Every strand has come unwound
Every heart is all worn down
Everyone in this room wanted to be somewhere else
So tonight I found a key
And drive away a little early
Is the last time I wanna be that kind of lonely.
There's a scar below your left eye
Fades away as you get older
Isn't like you never told her
What kind of man you really are
I don't know why it's so surprising
Now the sun is almost rising
Cause it's early in the morning
And the moon's still standing tall
Every strand has come unwound
Every heart is all worn down
Everyone in this room wanted to be somewhere else
So tonight I found a key and drive away a little early
It's the last time I wanna be that kind of lonely
That kind of lonely
That kind of lonely
That kind of lonely
That kind of lonely
That kind of lonely
That kind of lonely
That kind of lonely
courtney coye
@onemoregirlmusic please do a cover of this song !!!!!!!!
Wooden Nickel
Now she will never hear me learn to play the banjo, Centerville Ohio.;