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
What You Are
Patty Griffin Lyrics
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Its been a long time, don't you wish you had the chance
What do you wish you were?
Do you wish you were the silence on the moon?
Nobody knows but maybe you will be soon
I used to think the sidewalk was the way
Always waiting for my lucky day
One day inside me I was lucky anyway
What do you wish you were?
Do you wish you were the light of every star?
Nobody knows but, maybe that's just what you are
All night count all the singing stars
Alright is where you want to know you are
What do you wish you were?
Do you wish you were the light of every star?
Nobody knows but maybe that's just what you are
Nobody knows but maybe that's just what you are
Nobody knows but maybe that's just what you are
In Patty Griffin's song What You Are, she begins by painting a picture of a group of ladies dancing by the lake. She then asks a question to her listeners, "what do you wish you were?". She poses the idea of wishing to be nothing more than the silence on the moon, something that's unattainable but still worth contemplation. She suggests that maybe someday you'll become the impossible thing you wish to be, just as the ladies on the lake may have once wished they could dance but now have the chance to do so. Suddenly, the lyrics switch from talking to the audience to talking about herself. Patty confesses that she used to believe that the only way to success was by following the straight and narrow path - or the sidewalk in her case. But, through her realization of the fact that anyone can indeed find success, she's had a stroke of luck herself.
The chorus repeats the same question about wishing to be something, with the addition of a new idea: the "light of every star". She notes that nobody knows the answer to that question yet, except for the possibility of the person themselves. Patty ends the song on a similarly bittersweet note, questioning who and what you are, and suggesting that maybe it doesn't matter who you are, who you wish to be, or what you'll become, just that you may already be that impossible thing you once wished for.
Line by Line Meaning
All the ladies, on the lake they start to dance
Women on the lakeside begin to dance
Its been a long time, don't you wish you had the chance
Do you wish you had a chance after all these years?
What do you wish you were?
What are your desires?
Do you wish you were the silence on the moon?
Do you ever wish to be the quietness of the moon?
Nobody knows but maybe you will be soon
No one knows except for the possibility that you can be
I used to think the sidewalk was the way
I once believed that the street was the path
Always waiting for my lucky day
Always anticipating my good luck
Over and over every patch of gray
Repeatedly dealing with negativity
One day inside me I was lucky anyway
Even without good luck, I found contentment within myself
All night count all the singing stars
All night long, look up and count the stars in harmony
Alright is where you want to know you are
The aim is to know where you stand and be alright with it
Do you wish you were the light of every star?
Do you ever wish to be the shining light of every star?
Nobody knows but, maybe that's just what you are
Perhaps that's precisely what you are, but nobody knows
Nobody knows but maybe that's just what you are
Maybe that's exactly what you are, but no one knows
Nobody knows but maybe that's just what you are
Possibly that is what you are, but nobody knows
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PATRICIA J. GRIFFIN, CRAIG ROSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind