Patty Griffin
Mary
Flaming Red
(1998)

Buy CD
Buy MP3
147 comments:lyrics:add your comment
shellbella
Apr 25, 2013 - 11:11
This song is so beautiful.


kaviksdad
Feb 21, 2013 - 13:06
Patty & Annie Lennox...I want to hear their voices on my deathbed...


leafmold
Feb 21, 2013 - 13:05
SUCH a beautiful voice she has....always makes me stop and listen.


LizK
Dec 21, 2012 - 20:08
P atty's voice makes this song shine.


kaviksdad
Nov 20, 2012 - 11:10
Funny how many people have a gut antipathy to this song because it's got a vague Jesus undercurrent. I'm not a Christian, but c'mon, much — most? — of the Western world's greatest art has had a Biblical theme. Just about everything done by Michaelangelo, for instance. Anyway, I think this is just beautiful. What he/she said...


cc_rider
Nov 20, 2012 - 11:08
rdo wrote:
As a board certified atheist, I like this song.
There's a board? Dammit, nobody told me. I wanna be certified too. They say I'm already certifiable, so it should be a snap.

What?




leafmold
Nov 20, 2012 - 11:07
Religious undertones notwithstanding, this is lovely.


d-don
Nov 20, 2012 - 11:05
Beautiful. 10


Imkirok
Nov 20, 2012 - 11:04
crispynz1 wrote:
Hideous!

Physics, is that you?


lily34
Nov 20, 2012 - 11:02
wow. twice in 2 days. depressing.


crispynz1
Nov 19, 2012 - 12:15
Hideous!


Odyzzeuz
Sep 18, 2012 - 13:58
Funny how many people have a gut antipathy to this song because it's got a vague Jesus undercurrent. I'm not a Christian, but c'mon, much — most? — of the Western world's greatest art has had a Biblical theme. Just about everything done by Michaelangelo, for instance. Anyway, I think this is just beautiful. Too bad it's not about the Buddha. (Joke.)


grungepuppy
Jul 17, 2012 - 15:55
zepher wrote:
Beautiful song. The pain Mary went through seeing her Son fulfill the book, and thus realize the prophecies of the Old Testament gives real hope to suffering women everywhere. All 'recovering' Christians need to go back to the Bible, and see how it speaks to you today apart from how it was presented in the past. Open your mind, God has blessed you with the ability to read, and little ol' me defending the Bible is like a Kitty Cat defending the Lion's den.




I find it interesting that some religious folks are quick to harp on what on non-believers "need to do." I don't feel the need to tell you what to do or believe, I don't give a flying fig. As long as you don't kill people in the name of your god, as many have. Immediately you'll mention the atheists who have committed atrocities, and yes, there are plenty. They killed despite their beliefs, not because of them. The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, has plenty of wonderful philosophy, as well as some pretty scary tenants. Many other great books do too and it takes more of an open mind to admit that than to look for all of the answers from one book.


rdo
Jul 17, 2012 - 15:50
As a board certified athiest, I like this song.


zepher
May 15, 2012 - 07:03
Beautiful song. The pain Mary went through seeing her Son fulfill the book, and thus realize the prophecies of the Old Testament gives real hope to suffering women everywhere. All 'recovering' Christians need to go back to the Bible, and see how it speaks to you today apart from how it was presented in the past. Open your mind, God has blessed you with the ability to read, and little ol' me defending the Bible is like a Kitty Cat defending the Lion's den.





grungepuppy
Apr 13, 2012 - 14:15
brianlemaster wrote:
As a recovering Catholic I'm never happy to hear anything overtly religious. 45 minutes ago RP played Daniel Lanois's "The Maker" which rubbed me the wrong way. That being said, I can't help but love this song. It must be Patty's haunting voice. To me the song is an ode to overlooked women, mothers, wives, etc., everywhere. Maybe it helps that I'm fairly familiar with some of Patty's other music and generally you can't find a religious overtone to it.
>>>
Not to be provocative, but "recovering Catholic"??? what does that mean.. in your case, the devil won? The song as a whole can be received as a wonderful ode to women throughout history as is well said above, but clearly speaks to Marian devotionalists, Catholics, Protestant, and all Christians who appreciate Mary's "yes" to God.

If I believed in the devil any more than god, I guess you could say the devil won. I only qualified my statement with the "recovering Catholic" part to explain that if I'm anti-religious (which I am) it's not because no one ever tried to indoctrinate me. It just didn't take. I outgrew it, much like belief in the tooth fairy. I still love this song and don't find it to be a statement of religious devotion. But I even like some songs that are. "Oh Holy Night" is overtly religious. I don't feel inspired by the message, but as for song structure and composition, it's amazing. It's one of my favorite Christmas songs when performed by someone who really hits the emotion.


alph
Apr 13, 2012 - 13:34
Interesting point. Who exactly is the devil, anyway? Someone that a bunch of child rapists told me to avoid? In that case, I'll take the devil.

brianlemaster wrote:
As a recovering Catholic I'm never happy to hear anything overtly religious. 45 minutes ago RP played Daniel Lanois's "The Maker" which rubbed me the wrong way. That being said, I can't help but love this song. It must be Patty's haunting voice. To me the song is an ode to overlooked women, mothers, wives, etc., everywhere. Maybe it helps that I'm fairly familiar with some of Patty's other music and generally you can't find a religious overtone to it.
>>>
Not to be provocative, but "recovering Catholic"??? what does that mean.. in your case, the devil won? The song as a whole can be received as a wonderful ode to women throughout history as is well said above, but clearly speaks to Marian devotionalists, Catholics, Protestant, and all Christians who appreciate Mary's "yes" to God.




brianlemaster
Apr 12, 2012 - 18:19
As a recovering Catholic I'm never happy to hear anything overtly religious. 45 minutes ago RP played Daniel Lanois's "The Maker" which rubbed me the wrong way. That being said, I can't help but love this song. It must be Patty's haunting voice. To me the song is an ode to overlooked women, mothers, wives, etc., everywhere. Maybe it helps that I'm fairly familiar with some of Patty's other music and generally you can't find a religious overtone to it.
>>>
Not to be provocative, but "recovering Catholic"??? what does that mean.. in your case, the devil won? The song as a whole can be received as a wonderful ode to women throughout history as is well said above, but clearly speaks to Marian devotionalists, Catholics, Protestant, and all Christians who appreciate Mary's "yes" to God.


Balla_Boy
Apr 12, 2012 - 13:24
As a confirmed atheist, I'd have to agree with the more "agnostic" interpretations below. It strikes me as a song as much about the role and fate of woman as it is "that" particular woman.

That said, and again as a non-believer, as a woman who wept over the body of a young son killed before his time for reasons she may have been vague on, Mary probably isn't a bad archetype for our society on a few levels.


iTuner
Mar 12, 2012 - 21:52

crispynz1 wrote:

I like Patty, but not this drivel.
My sentiments exactly.



View this page on our desktop website