Back to the city you were lost in
I went back to the place
Without your face in the stone
Walked around Harvard Square
The runaway kids are still hanging out there
And I took the red line
All the way across the River Charles
Some things try and try
But they never fly, and they never fly
You reach up from the waves
And find that you're only waving goodbye
Went walking in Boston
Over a bridge I used to walk on
I was looking for my heart
That I'd flung into that sea of stone
Boston said, you need not apply
For your license to fly
Hey, young lady, don't look so surprised
You know you're not alone
Some things try and try
And they never fly, and they never fly
You reach up from the waves
And find that you're only waving goodbye
It was Memorial Day
I went to where you lay
There were thousands of people
Just like you in a giant graveyard
You came all of that way
Looking for the sky, you got a slap in the face
You had a desperate need to be loved
You just got put in that place
You better know your place, boy
Some things try and try
And they never fly, and they never fly
You reach up from the waves
And find that you're only waving goodbye
Only waving
You're only waving
You're only waving
You're only waving goodbye
Patricia Jean Griffin (born March 16, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She is a vocalist and plays guitar and piano. She is known for her stripped-down songwriting style in the folk music genre. Her songs have been covered by numerous musicians, including Emmylou Harris, Ellis Paul, Kelly Clarkson, Rory Block, Dave Hause, Sugarland, Bette Midler and The Chicks.
In 2007, Griffin received the Artist of the Year award from the Americana Music Association, and her album Children Running Through won the award for Best Album. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting at the 2023 Americana Music Honors & Awards. In 2011, Griffin's album Downtown Church won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Gospel Album and her 2019 self-titled album won the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.
