Patty Griffin is a singer, and songwriter. I have not listened to her several albums to be familiar enough with her. Some of her songs have been covered by more popular female artists. And those songs i am not very familiar with. A handful of her songs are rooted in Catholic images, and largely they are not performed by others. Griffin has called herself a lapsed Catholic. A lapsed Catholic is still a Catholic. I have not seen that adjective often paired with any other noun, except in a jesting manner. The lapsed Catholic does not reject God as much as he distances himself in some ways from God, or moreso organised practice of the faith, and the community of the faith; and often times he is pushed away by them.
Some years ago, i once heard on folk radio Mother of God. It haunted me immediately, it still does. [click] Griffin's œuvre is filled with sad songs. Sometimes her singing voice is not clear and distinct, and her voice is not strong; but in this one it is clear. The song is disjointed, and does not flow directly, the thought wanders, but so do minds.
Several decades pass; first she is a subadult who protects her siblings from their mother. As soon as she becomes an adult she leaves. Much time passes. She is retired and old from attending to other old people. There is sadness, and melancholic longing. Solace and company is always with the Mother of God.
When I was little I'd stare at her picture
And talk to the mother of God
I swear sometimes I'd see her lips move
Like she was trying to say something to me ...
... And I'm getting older and odd
I get up every morning with a black cup of coffee
And I talk to the mother of God
In Mary you're covered in roses she is with her Son Jesus, and she sees his Ascension/Departure. And Griffin sees Mary as as the universal Mother, who sees her other sons come, and then depart.
lyric from Moses:
I need Moses
To cross this sea of loneliness
Part this Red River of pain
The song that is hardest to decipher is Wild Old Dog. I do not like her vocals on that one, a Dutch singer, Hilde Vos is easier to understand. [click]
God is a wild, old dog
Someone left out on the highway
Abandonment, but who is it that abandons? and who is abandoned? Why would a hound be called God? Is the dog God? There are more questions than answers here.
The Hound of Heaven is a longish poem by Francis Thompson. The Hound is God/Jesus chasing, pursuing the soul of man. Man may want to flee, hide, escape; but God continues after him. God does this from love, love that does not abandon, does not quit. That love is enduring.
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