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You've been gone now a couple years
Well, I guess it takes a while
For someone to really disappear
And I remember where I was
When the word came about you
It was a day much like today
The sky was bright and wide and blue
And I wonder where you are
And if the pain ends when you die
And I wonder if there was
Some better way to say goodbye
Today my heart is big and sore
It's trying to push right through my skin
Won't see you any more
I guess that's finally sinking in
'Cause you can't make somebody see
With the simple words you say
All their beauty from within
Sometimes they just look away
And I wonder where you are
And if the pain ends when you die
And I wonder if there was
Some better way to say goodbye
Some better way to say goodbye
Catey, I’m sorry.
I know the feeling.
This and Long Black Limousine are two of the most powerful songs about the death of a loved one I know. And Patty recorded both of them. Makes me almost afraid to see her in concert.
Written in a spirit of helpfulness ...
Ms Griffin's song is Long Ride Home, and it is indeed sad.
Long Black Limousine is a much older song, covered by Merle Haggard and Elvis among others, about the same subject: " ... Well I never, I never, never, never ... oh my heart, all my dreams, they're with you In that long black limousine."
A very poignant tune, recalling a loved one who's moved on.
But don't be too sad, for too long. We are all channelized energy, a fraction of infinite energy contained within a finite vessel. Look around. It's that way for every living thing.
Look up at the night-time sky and see the underbelly of infinity that is the greater Universe. You cannot see this and not tell me that though the container withers and fails that the energy it contains doesn't go out there onward forever; to dream new dreams in new places and times. Energy never ends; it never fails, it merely transforms.
You will meet your loved ones again, as you have before. It all goes on forever folks. Forever. This is the Creators gift to all life; an infinite playground. So don't be sad.
Highlow
American Net'Zen
And you get all that from Patty Griffin? Wow.
From the Flaming Red album, 1998. The album description gets three sentences on Wikipedia. Yet Kanye West's debut album gets pages and pages of content. Sigh.
oh I thought it was just Ye now..
![snooty](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/eusa_snooty.gif)
Nice tune! I never heard of her before. ...Thank You RP!
Matters not where you start - every disc has gems like this one.
Best,
c.
This and Long Black Limousine are two of the most powerful songs about the death of a loved one I know. And Patty recorded both of them. Makes me almost afraid to see her in concert.
Saw her a few years ago in concert. She stopped the set at one point and said that she was mandated to play one happy song per concert. And then she did.
I know of no other piece of music that hits me like this does. And reading through the comments, this seems to be the modal response. I still remember buying the live version of this while attending a meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, then driving in the mountains while listening, and absorbing the beauty and loss reflected in the combination of music and words. Listening to a song can do this and I still recall the experience more than a decade later. Yet, maybe it's best to limit these experiences.
When her album American Kid came out a few years ago, it hit me hard. The album is basically a tribute to her father who had recently passed away. I went out to my garage with a six pack of beer and put the album on repeat and spent most of the night there listening to it over and over. I wept uncontrollably to "Go where ever you wanna go", "Not a bad man", and "I'm going to miss you when you're gone", knowing that I will someday have to experience losing my father. Many of her songs hit me that way.
I know this song is about loosing a romantic love, but the line "I guess it takes a while for someone to really disappear" is quite the meditation when you apply it to non-romantic people you've lost.
thx patty.....and once again I could never see her live because I would just stand there and cry. Absolutely Phabulous
It's actually about Jeff Buckley. A beautiful talent gone far too soon. Just like his father Tim. Tragic. Which is why I mentioned Jeff's album 'Grace' below. Several heartbreakers on that disc too.
But yes, there aren't many dry eyes at PG shows.
c.
thx patty.....and once again I could never see her live because I would just stand there and cry. Absolutely Phabulous
Dammit, now I have to go out to the workshop and put on 'Grace'. Loud.
c.
When the word came about you
It was a day much like today
The sky was bright and wide and blue
And I wonder where you are
And if the pain ends when you die
And I wonder if there was
Some better way to say goodbye
Today my heart is big and sore
It's trying to push right through my skin
Won't see you any more
I guess that's finally sinking in"
— Patty Griffin, Goodbye
Amen and selah.
wishful thinking
energy is measurable
it dissipates into the environment as you assume room temperature
human beans need to grow up, stop believing in Santa Claus, and value the time that is
given to us now
instead of deluding ourselves that everything will be alright, or better, AFTER we die
we are the only species that we know of that is aware of our own mortality
aware, but having trouble accepting it
so we invented religion
Neti, neti
A very poignant tune, recalling a loved one who's moved on.
But don't be too sad, for too long. We are all channelized energy, a fraction of infinite energy contained within a finite vessel. Look around. It's that way for every living thing.
Look up at the night-time sky and see the underbelly of infinity that is the greater Universe. You cannot see this and not tell me that though the container withers and fails that the energy it contains doesn't go out there onward forever; to dream new dreams in new places and times. Energy never ends; it never fails, it merely transforms.
You will meet your loved ones again, as you have before. It all goes on forever folks. Forever. This is the Creators gift to all life; an infinite playground. So don't be sad.
Highlow
American Net'Zen
This woman knows how to get to your emotions (in almost every song of hers)....
Every time I hear this, I cry.
Crying at work. Dag nab it.
![not worthy](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_notworthy.gif)
But don't be too sad, for too long. We are all channelized energy, a fraction of infinite energy contained within a finite vessel. Look around. It's that way for every living thing.
Look up at the night-time sky and see the underbelly of infinity that is the greater Universe. You cannot see this and not tell me that though the container withers and fails that the energy it contains doesn't go out there onward forever; to dream new dreams in new places and times. Energy never ends; it never fails, it merely transforms.
You will meet your loved ones again, as you have before. It all goes on forever folks. Forever. This is the Creators gift to all life; an infinite playground. So don't be sad.
Highlow
American Net'Zen
wishful thinking
energy is measurable
it dissipates into the environment as you assume room temperature
human beans need to grow up, stop believing in Santa Claus, and value the time that is
given to us now
instead of deluding ourselves that everything will be alright, or better, AFTER we die
we are the only species that we know of that is aware of our own mortality
aware, but having trouble accepting it
so we invented religion
I know I can't. Miss you Mom and Dad.
Me too, though I can't remember what they looked; I was only 20 months old when their plane crashed. As the youngest of seven, some call me the lucky one...
.
my wife has MS and not doing so good
I'm sorry
.... Heaven is a better place
![](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f3/9d/3a/f39d3acb26215938a8196e9424eb7ee2.jpg)
But don't be too sad, for too long. We are all channelized energy, a fraction of infinite energy contained within a finite vessel. Look around. It's that way for every living thing.
Look up at the night-time sky and see the underbelly of infinity that is the greater Universe. You cannot see this and not tell me that though the container withers and fails that the energy it contains doesn't go out there onward forever; to dream new dreams in new places and times. Energy never ends; it never fails, it merely transforms.
You will meet your loved ones again, as you have before. It all goes on forever folks. Forever. This is the Creators gift to all life; an infinite playground. So don't be sad.
Highlow
American Net'Zen
And a very poignant response. Thank you for sharing - know that those words touched me and I will share them in times of need to console others in my life.
Perhaps you can write and submit something.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaming_Red
Because Radio Paradise ;-) !
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaming_Red
Because RP
But don't be too sad, for too long. We are all channelized energy, a fraction of infinite energy contained within a finite vessel. Look around. It's that way for every living thing.
Look up at the night-time sky and see the underbelly of infinity that is the greater Universe. You cannot see this and not tell me that though the container withers and fails that the energy it contains doesn't go out there onward forever; to dream new dreams in new places and times. Energy never ends; it never fails, it merely transforms.
You will meet your loved ones again, as you have before. It all goes on forever folks. Forever. This is the Creators gift to all life; an infinite playground. So don't be sad.
Highlow
American Net'Zen
Perhaps you can write and submit something.
Every time I hear this, I cry.
I never can.
I know I can't. Miss you Mom and Dad.
![{#Group-hug} {#Group-hug}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/group-hug.gif)
.... Heaven is a better place
![](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f3/9d/3a/f39d3acb26215938a8196e9424eb7ee2.jpg)
.
my wife has MS and not doing so good
Happens every time. Have to close the office door and wait for the eyes to dry up.
You are not alone, Judi.
yes sir —
![{#Cry} {#Cry}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_cry.gif)
Yes indeed. Gets me every time. There is a live version too, rougher around the edges, which suits Jeff even better.
Ditto
Well said.
I had a cousin who committed suicide 25 years ago. We were best friends growing up but weren't on the best terms when he died. Every time Patty sings "I wish there was a better way to say goodbye", I start crying too.
Makes me cry too. This is a great album. Tony never gets played and is an equally great song.
I had a cousin who committed suicide 25 years ago. We were best friends growing up but weren't on the best terms when he died. Every time Patty sings "I wish there was a better way to say goodbye", I start crying too.
A lot of Patty's tunes do that to me. Just need to listen.
![{#Sad} {#Sad}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_sad.gif)
I thought Bill said it was about Gram Parsons.
Jeff Buckley makes more sense. He and Patty were contemporaries, whereas Gram died when Patty was about 10.
Jeff died in 1997, this album was released in 1998, and a line in the song says, "you've been gone now couple years".
Regardless, this is one of the most emotionally evocative songs ever.
(Edit Oct 26/11: The song I was confused about is The Road by Emmylou Harris. THAT one is about Gram Parsons)
Couldn't have said it better.
But yes, Patty Griffin's voice absolutely sends me to another place.
But the sentiment also transends any one person and goes straight to the heart of human experience. At least for me it does.
Thanks for this. I didn't know it was about Buckley. The song gives me chills with every listen.
But yes, Patty Griffin's voice absolutely sends me to another place.
Decided to drag out a comment from years back. It echoes my sentiments, completely.
yeah, what the frack IS wrong with you?
![{#Eh} {#Eh}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/eusa_eh.gif)
I love it
![{#Clap} {#Clap}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_clap.gif)
![{#Cry} {#Cry}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/smiley-cry.gif)
Patty, please return to Solana Beach.
Peace.
Have to agree... and it gives me chills Every Damn Time I hear it.
Agonizingly beautiful. . .
![{#Cry} {#Cry}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_cry.gif)
A very poignant tune, recalling a loved one who's moved on.
But don't be too sad, for too long. We are all channelized energy, a fraction of infinite energy contained within a finite vessel. Look around. It's that way for every living thing.
Look up at the night-time sky and see the underbelly of infinity that is the greater Universe. You cannot see this and not tell me that though the container withers and fails that the energy it contains doesn't go out there onward forever; to dream new dreams in new places and times. Energy never ends; it never fails, it merely transforms.
You will meet your loved ones again, as you have before. It all goes on forever folks. Forever. This is the Creators gift to all life; an infinite playground. So don't be sad.
Highlow
American Net'Zen
Excellent! Thank you!