Proper Uses for
Patty Griffin's
"Children Running Through"

By Matt Lavin

Patty Griffin’s 2007 release “Children Running Through” offers up yet another example of Griffin’s signature awe-inspiring sensuality. It builds off the raw power of her earlier albums, adding new textures to an already impressive repertoire. The album consists twelve jaw dropping tracks, each of which echoes in the listener’s head for days after the first listen.

Starting with the first track, “You’ll Remember,” Griffin seems out to prove that she cannot be contained. She’s a force of nature who will not hesitate to use all the tools at her disposal. The soulful opening track is followed by “Stay on the Ride,” an almost complete reversal of mood and tone. The transition, however, works well for Griffin, as does the entire album. Songs like “Trapeze,” (track 3) “Burgundy Shoes,” (track 5) and “Railroad Wings” (track 8) illustrate Griffin’s excellent songwriting, commanding voice, and willingness to craft raw, powerful songs.

Singles like “Heavenly Day” and “I Don’t Ever Give Up” are sure to stand out on the first listen. Griffin’s music, however, is best experienced in large slices rather than snippets. The album is one cohesive work, not a disingenuous effort to surround a few quality songs with passable B material. This completeness distinguishes Griffin from many of her contemporaries.

How to Use “Children Running Through”

1. Find Political Campaign Theme Song. 6 out of a possible 10. “Up to the Mountain” is an inspiring song about Martin Luther King, but “I Don’t Ever Give Up” would probably make the best campaign theme song. It takes a whole to heat up, but staffers could easily start he track a few minutes in. Downsides for this purpose include the fact that the song isn’t thirty years old and/or by the Eagles.
2. Set up as Background Music for “Getting Busy." 7 out of a possible 10. Griffin’s album would score higher on this one, but at least three of the tracks make me cry. Crying during sex, of course, is not attractive. Crying before sex, however, happens a lot.
3. Exercise while Listening to It. 5 out of a possible 10. If your idea of a good workout tape involves songs that will cause you to become overcome with emotion, stop exercising, and go home to eat ice cream, this album is the workout tape you’ve been looking for. Otherwise, consider C+C Music Factory’s “Gonna Make You Sweat” (1990).
4. Enhance Key Emotional Scene in “OC Style” Teen Drama. 4 out of a possible 10. Say an unrealistically airbrushed 16-ear-old with Playboy boobs is about to break up with her 35-year-old inexplicably wealthy boyfriend and feels like it’s the end of the world. Green day’s “Time of Your Life” would work perfectly, but Griffin’s album would seem oddly out of place.
5. Quote Lyrics to Explain Poetic Desire for Long-Time Crush. 9 out of a possible 10. Despite the fact that “Heavenly Day” is reportedly about Griffin’s dog, it would work quite well to explain your feelings to a prospective mate. The more obsessive and unearned your crush, the better: “The smile on your face … I live only to see … It’s enough for me baby… It’s enough for me … Oh heavenly day …”