"Rowing Song," Patty Griffin

Song: "Rowing Song"
Album: Impossible Dream
Artist: Patty Griffin

I used to row on the ocean off the coast of Maine. This song takes me instantly back to the peace, and meditative quality of rowing.

The ocean is a powerful force and putting yourself on the ocean in a small boat is an exercise in humility and surprise. While the ocean might be calm now, there's always the understanding that at any time it can rise up and swallow you like a grape. It's the song's recognition of that underlying, mysterious power that takes this to another level for me.

When I listen to this I see a fog drifting and swirling, revealing and obscuring the unknowns in my own life.

Patty Griffin's voice is very beautiful and clear and the music meanders in an ebbing and flowing waltz that supports the images in the lyrics.