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
Trapeze
Patty Griffin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just overhead on the old trapeze
In the old tent tonight, spotlight going round
One of these nights the old girl's going down
Hallelujah, the old girl's going down
She started with us on the back of a horse
Just seventeen and already divorced
Like she was born to be gliding on the old trapeze
Some people don't care if they live or they die
Some people want to know what it feels like to fly
Gather their courage and they give it a try
Some guy broke her heart and how her heart it did ache
So she went to the tent of the lady of the snakes
Who gave her a potion and she drank it in
After that her heart never ached again
After that her heart never ached again
Some poeple don't care if they live or they die
Some people want to know what it feels like to fly
Gather their courage and they give it a try
Fall under the wheels of a time goin' by
Little pink dress, hanging by her knees
Just overhead on the old trapeze
In the old tent tonight, spotlight going round
One of these nights the old girl's going down
One of these nights the old girl's going down
One of these nights the old girl's going down
One of these nights the old girl's going down
Halle- Halle- Halle-
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
Hallelujah
"Trapeze" by Patty Griffin tells the story of a young woman who performs on a trapeze in a circus. The opening lyrics set the scene of the old tent and the spotlight, and the chorus repeats "Hallelujah, the old girl's going down," which is a reference to the possibility of falling from the trapeze. However, the lyrics also suggest that the trapeze artist has accepted the risk and is willing to take it because she knows that falling is a possibility.
The song's verses provide more background on the trapeze artist's life. She started with the circus at a young age and went through a divorce before finding her passion for performing on the trapeze. The lyrics suggest that she turned to the circus as an escape from heartbreak - she went to a "tent of the lady of the snakes" for some kind of potion to rid herself of heartache. The song closes with a repeat of the chorus and the suggestion that this one night might be the trapeze artist's last.
Line by Line Meaning
Little pink dress, hanging by her knees
A girl in a pink dress is hanging suspended by her knees on the trapeze
Just overhead on the old trapeze
She is hanging on an aging trapeze
In the old tent tonight, spotlight going round
The show is taking place in an old tent and the spotlight is moving around
One of these nights the old girl's going down
There is a sense of danger that the girl might not make it through the performance safely
Hallelujah, the old girl's going down
The repeated phrase is both an exclamation of excitement and a recognition of the risks associated with the performance
She started with us on the back of a horse
The girl began working in the circus as a rider at a young age
Just seventeen and already divorced
She had already experienced the pain of divorce at a young age
She took to the air with the greatest of ease
She quickly mastered the acrobatic elements of trapeze performance
Like she was born to be gliding on the old trapeze
Her grace and ease on the trapeze feel natural and innate
Some people don't care if they live or they die
Some individuals are willing to take great risks, even if they may result in harm or death
Some people want to know what it feels like to fly
There are those who seek the thrill and sensation of weightlessness and soaring through the air
Gather their courage and they give it a try
Many are willing to face their fears and take the leap of faith required for trapeze performance
Some guy broke her heart and how her heart it did ache
The girl experienced heartbreak at the hands of a man
So she went to the tent of the lady of the snakes
She sought out a mystical figure known for her remedies and magic
Who gave her a potion and she drank it in
The lady of the snakes provided a potion that the girl consumed
After that her heart never ached again
The potion appeared to cure the girl's emotional pain
Fall under the wheels of a time goin' by
Performers face the inevitability of aging and physical decline over time
Halle- Halle- Halle-
The repetition of the phrase suggests a growing intensity and excitement in the performance
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
The repeated phrase serves as a resounding celebration of the risks and rewards of trapeze performance
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PATRICIA J. GRIFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind