October Reasons 🧡

By Gail Moore Woltkamp

I had never heard of singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith until I met my future husband in 1990. Among so many fun things he introduced me to, Griffith’s music became something that uniquely captured the early parts of our relationship amidst a folksy blues backdrop.

After both our busy work days, I would walk into Bill’s Kansas City apartment and hear his stereo playing in the background. His music opened up a whole new world for me and like any new relationship, I was in all kinds of Heaven. 

Back then, of course, it was compact discs and his were stacked in an antique rolltop desk acquired from a family member. It sat near his picture window, that I loved, in his living room area where he had re-painted the walls a warmer color than the typical standard stark white that apartments back then imposed on you. 

He also had a much more envious collection of music than I did…Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen, Roger Waters, David Gilmore, Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Graham Parker, Neil Young, and then musicians totally unknown to me, like Richard Thompson and Iris Dement.

But none of these artists compared to the classy sound of Nanci Griffith’s acoustic guitar and gentle voice on an autumn Saturday afternoon.

One of her signature songs, “Love at the Five and Dime,” conjures sweet Woolworth’s memories of popcorn smells, ten cent treasures, lunch counter romance and the doorbell sound of an elevator opening. How can you beat that?

But what really spoke to me early on was “More Than a Whisper,” from her album, “The Last of the True Believers,” featuring her Blue Moon Orchestra:

🎶 “It’s snowin’ up in the Northlands…I read your warm words from the plains…while the poets say that I should never be thinkin’ of you this way.” 🎶

When Bill and I met, we lived on opposite sides of Kansas City’s Metropolitan Area. The Northland in KC was less than thirty miles from where I lived on the Kansas side, but some would call it a world away, and one that I took to immediately. 

More snow when we got it, a tad cooler in the winter, lots of pretty, open landscape—His world just felt North to me and Griffith’s swooning lyrics made it all perfect. 

Fun when we would see Griffith perform in Kansas City, we might run into certain friends who had discovered her as well. Twenty-somethings in the 90s, we were college-raised on U2, R.E.M., Depeche Mode, The Cure, but our tastes could easily travel the musical genres and Griffith was a big part of that.

In 1993, we saw her perform at the Historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. This tour included other musicians joining her on stage and on our night it was John Prine. 

Our first dance at our wedding in autumn 1994 was to “I Knew Love,” from her album “Little Love Affairs,” and throughout our nearly thirty year marriage, her music has followed right along with us.

As time passed and our boys became teens, I would glance at her website and notice for years it was stuck on the album “Intersection” with no tour dates on the horizon, at least not in the United States.

She had an impressive following in Ireland, which seemed to be a special place for her as she often captured it in her songwriting:

🎶 I would bring you Ireland…the cool sweet of the Dublin rain. If you would keep my heart for me in the quiet of your Texas days. 🎶

Deeply talented and in such a unique way, but as a fan I had wondered if she was also deeply troubled.

Though extremely private, it was known there were health issues and speculation about her personal life pointed to themes in her songs…nostalgic for the past, long-lost friendships, missing that one special true love that timing never quite found. 

Occasionally on the radio, I would hear the Suzy Bogguss version of “Outbound Plane” that Griffith wrote with singer/songwriter Tom Russell. And of course there was Julie Gold’s amazing Grammy winning song, “From A Distance.” Sorry Bette. Nanci’s rendition brings me more clarity.

The thing about her was she wrote or co-wrote most of her songs with themes as varied as post-war romances, Oklahoma winds, drunken bar rooms and Airforce Flyers.

But despite her various nominations and one Grammy win for 1993’s album “Other Voices, Other Rooms,” she just didn’t seem to get the proper credit she deserved. 

Nanci passed away on August 13, 2021 at age 68. It was reported she requested before she died that her management wait one week before sending out any kind of formal communication. Natural causes has been the only reason given to date.

Autumn brings so many positive vibes for me and Nanci Griffith’s songs will always grace the season with their charm. 

Time will be good to you, Nanci, and so will your fans. Someone with your unique voice comes around “Just Once In A Very Blue Moon” and all those who loved you will “feel one comin’ on soon.”🌕

#nancigriffith #singersongwriter #autumndays #woolworths #fiveanddime #1940s #1990s