Patty Griffin - Shells

Recorded in Fletcher's Bar on April 17th 1997, this is the only version I've ever found of this bleak but powerful song. It's Patty Griffin at her best, in the Living With Ghosts days.

I've taken out a few of the more intrusive background noises, but hey - it's a bar!

Shells -- Patty Griffin - 1997

The hole in her chest is for the lost little lamb
Who was on his quest; nobody gives a damn
In silvery days of silence they go
Now they've lost their ways, those little lambs in the snow

These are not shells of the sea
These are the shells of the sky
They took my baby away from me
And no one has ever told me why

They chewed him and spit him
He never knew what hit him
No little kisses goodbye
Shells, shells, shells

I won't stand to ask for God's mercy
I can't stand anything anymore
They were only making angels
In the snow in the middle of a war

And the blood of these lambs speaks of the darkness
And the blood of these lambs speaks of the rage
Yes and blood of these lambs is rolling to the sea
It's writing your history on every single page
Shells, shells, shells

Chair at the table missing a child
Months have gone past, the weather is mild
I go to the sea; I follow the tide
I hold seashells to me and I hear the sky

These are not shells of the sea
These are the shells of the sky
They took my baby away from me
No one has ever told me why

They chewed him and spit him
He never knew what hit him
No little kisses goodbye
Shells, shells, shells

Category:

Music

Tags:

• patty
• griffin
• shells

[rkymtnroy]

an exquisite glimpse into a moment of time in the legacy of the most significant and under appreciated singer songwriter of the late twentieth century. today the audience would not be murmuring in private conversation, but rapt and ebullient in appreciation.

[ZZZZAS]

Patty,

How often have you reminded me how to feel the depth of so many things...like beauty

I love you,

Shep

[maszlagma]

Wow, beautiful! So this is about a mother who lost her child at a war if I gather it right... I hope this video stays on Youtube forever because I'm sure there's no other place to find it. Did you record it yourself?

[JimmyFightingBack]

The little crack in her voice at about 2:23 is beautiful and basically sells the whole thing for me.

[theawkwards]

good one!

was waiting for the audience response at the end though and it cut off....

[wookie37]

Thanks for posting this. :)

[4rainbowed]

Reminds me of a certain early Joni Mitchell folk-rock song, "...took my baby away from me".. thanks for posting this, since the record company was stupid enough to drop Patty back then.

[saandymichael]

mmhh shes ok

[raaaachelann]

AMAAAAAAAZZINNNNGG. i love patty griffin. she's my favoriteee<3 love her songs up to the mountain, heavenly day, and standing. so amazing.

[randygautier]

This is an amazing song! I've seen Patty about 10 times and she has never sang Shells......oh well, maybe in the next 10 shows i might get lucky!

[batalisto]

undescribable

[holyoakproductions]

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