Pierce Pettis (born April 14, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter from F… Read Full Bio ↴Pierce Pettis (born April 14, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter from Fort Payne, AL.

A former staff writer for PolyGram Publishing in Nashville, Pettis' musical career was started in 1979 when Joan Baez covered his song, "Song at the End of the Movie", on her album Honest Lullaby. Following that release, Pettis became heavily involved in the "Fast Folk movement" in New York in the 1980s alongside artists such as Shawn Colvin and Suzanne Vega.

In 1984, Pettis released his first independent solo album, Moments, followed by a string of releases for High Street Records; While the Serpent Lies Sleeping, Tinseltown and Chase the Buffalo. None of these releases have made Pettis a household name, but his music has become extremely popular with other artists. His songs have been covered by artists like Dar Williams ("Family" on Mortal City), Garth Brooks ("You Move Me" on Sevens), Dion & the Belmonts, Sara Groves, Randy Stonehill and others.

In the early 1990s, Pettis developed a working relationship with songwriter and producer Mark Heard. Pettis was performing with Heard at the Cornerstone Festival in July of 1992, when Heard had a heart attack on stage. Heard finished the show, but collapsed off-stage afterwards and died the following August. That loss led to the start of a tradition for Pettis, who has started off each of his albums with one of Heard's songs since 1993's Chase the Buffalo, where he recorded Heard's "Nod Over Coffee". Other Heard covers include "Satellite Sky" (1996's Making Light of It), "Tip of My Tongue" (1998's Everything Matters), "Rise from the Ruins" (2001's State of Grace) and "Another Day in Limbo" (2004's Great Big World.) Pettis also appeared on a 1994 tribute to Heard entitled Strong Hand of Love.

In 1996, Pettis signed on with Compass Records and released Making Light of It, produced by David Miner (T-Bone Burnett, Elvis Costello), and featuring Derri Daugherty and Steve Hindalong of The Choir.

Two years later Everything Matters was released, produced by Grammy award winning Gordon Kennedy (who is best known for co-writing Eric Clapton's "Change the World.") Pettis followed that release with State of Grace in 2001, which featured cover art by the late southern folk artist Howard Finster.

2001 saw Pettis' most regionally oriented album, State of Grace released. 2004's Great Big World record saw Pettis collaborating with a number of other songwriters. In 2009 That Kind of Love included less of a regional focus. 2013 saw Pettis, along with Tom Kimmel and Kate Campbell, form the New Agrarians and release a debut album on the independent Due South label.

2019 saw the release of his album "Father's Son".

Pettis tours frequently, alternating between solo shows, concerts with the New Agrarians, and a double bill with his daughter Grace Pettis.

Alabama 1959
Pierce Pettis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Chicken wire floats in the big parade,
Marching bands and the prom queen's wave,
From an old home movie faded with time,
Alabama, 1959.

Daddy had hair, mum was thin,
Look at the silly clothes they wore back then,
Studebaker truck parked in the drive,

Alabama, 1959.

Men wore hats and called you "Son,"
Children said, "Yes sir, yes ma'am"; ladies called you "Hun",
And the days just blew away like dandelions in Alabama, 1959.

TVA strung power lines,
Lit up our world with Pepsodent and Lucky Strikes,
And the TVs rolled in black and white,
Alabama, 1959.

Football games beneath the lights,
No one ever dared to cross the colour line,
Black faces watched through the fence outside,
Alabama, 1959.

"Don't use that word," my mother said,
"It isn't Christian, call them coloured folks instead,"
So I learned to be polite in Alabama, 1959.

These old home movies, well, they make me cry,
Still I bring them out and watch sometimes,
And all those ghosts come back alive,

Alabama, 1959,
Alabama, 1959.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Pierce Pettis's song "Alabama 1959" take us back in time to the year 1959 in Alabama. The first verse of the song talks about chicken wire floating in a big parade, marching bands, and prom queens. These images give us a sense of the nostalgia and innocence of that time. The second verse sheds some light on the family album of the singer where he sees his father with hair and his mother thin. The old cars like Studebaker parked in the driveways take us back to the time when the singer was a child in Alabama in 1959.

The third verse discusses the language used in that era where men used to call young boys "Son" and the ladies used the term "Hun". The fourth verse refers to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that brought electricity to the rural areas of Alabama. It also mentions the advent of television back then, which were black and white. The fifth and the final verse talks about the football games played under the lights, and the racial tensions of that time. The line "Black faces watched through the fence outside" is a poignant reference to the segregation and racial inequality that was prevalent in Alabama in 1959.

Line by Line Meaning

Chicken wire floats in the big parade,
The parade is made of chicken wire and is not as grandiose as it may sound.

Marching bands and the prom queen's wave,
The parade still contains the typical characters and symbols of American high school culture.

From an old home movie faded with time,
The memories of Alabama in 1959 are no longer vivid, but are still cherished by Pettis.

Alabama, 1959.
The year and state are the setting for the entire song.

Daddy had hair, mum was thin,
The parents in the home movie carry a youthful appearance that Pettis justifies as an aspect of the time period.

Look at the silly clothes they wore back then,
Pettis recognizes the outdated styles and fashions of the past.

Studebaker truck parked in the drive,
The parked vehicle carries a nostalgic significance that evokes memories of the past.

Men wore hats and called you "Son,"
The people of that time enjoyed strict societal role distinctions that emphasized respect and deference.

Children said, "Yes sir, yes ma'am"; ladies called you "Hun",
Elders, specifically women, were addressed with high levels of politeness and endearment by both children and other adults.

And the days just blew away like dandelions in Alabama, 1959.
Time progressed significantly throughout the year, an aspect that imprinted itself on Pettis's mind.

TVA strung power lines,
New technological advancements transformed the state and served as a representation of progress and modernity.

Lit up our world with Pepsodent and Lucky Strikes,
Consumerism was a significant aspect of the state's economy at the time in question.

And the TVs rolled in black and white,
Televisions at the time were outdated relative to modern technology, but still served to connect the community.

Football games beneath the lights,
Athletics remain a vital component of community life, even in the South.

No one ever dared to cross the colour line,
Racial tensions are present but unmentioned. The song focuses more on the cultural characteristics of an era, rather than its problems.

Black faces watched through the fence outside,
Racial segregation still served as an aspect of everyday life for the Black community.

"Don't use that word," my mother said,
The vernacular of the time contained derogatory terms that Petti's parents refused to use.

"It isn't Christian, call them coloured folks instead,"
Pettis's parents demonstrate their faith through the act of choosing not to employ violent, derogatory language.

So I learned to be polite in Alabama, 1959.
Pettis derives his understanding of politeness from his parents and the overall societal constructs of the time.

These old home movies, well, they make me cry,
Pettis expresses a deep sense of nostalgia and sentiment in viewing his old home movies.

Still I bring them out and watch sometimes,
Pettis revisits these times of the past often.

And all those ghosts come back alive,
The memories of the past and the people and time that they consist of are recreated and experience a 'rebirth' through this act of revisiting.

Alabama, 1959, Alabama, 1959.
The chorus establishes the central idea of the song and repeats it for emphasis.

Contributed by Austin G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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