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.
All in good time
Pierce Pettis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(All in good time)
But not before I live my life
(All in good time)
So, let's just see how this unfolds
(All in good time)
Like an onion or a rose
(All in good time)
She loves me, she loves me not
(AII in good time)
I thought I knew but I forgot
(All in good time)
Maybe yes, maybe no
(All in good time)
More than likely. I suppose
(All in good time)
Goodness knows for goodness sake
Good things come to those who wait
Sometimes you get the bad things, too
Sometimes you got time to kill
Sometimes barely time to live
All in all, we seem to muddle through...
Repeat Chorus
I've seen love run hot and cold
(All in good time)
I've held it close and let it go
(All in good time)
I hope I live 'til I get old
(All in good time)
All my life I have been told
(All in good time)
The song "All in Good Time" by Pierce Pettis is a reflection on the uncertainties of life and the importance of patience. The lyrics convey the idea that sometimes things take time to unfold and it's important to trust the process. The lyrics "Cross my heart and hope to die, but not before I live my life" suggest the idea that life should be lived without too much haste, and that everything unfolds in its own time, so it's important to take things slow and be patient.
The lyrics "So let's just see how this unfolds like an onion or a rose" suggest the idea that the beauty of life lies in its unfolding, and that it's important to let things grow and develop naturally. This is reinforced by the lyrics "Good things come to those who wait, sometimes you get the bad things too, sometimes you got time to kill, sometimes barely time to live, all in all, we seem to muddle through". These lyrics suggest that life is unpredictable and that it's important to embrace both the good and the bad because they both contribute to the richness of the human experience.
The chorus "She loves me, she loves me not, I thought I knew but I forgot, maybe yes, maybe no, more than likely I suppose, all in good time" suggests the idea that love is unpredictable and that it's important to give it time to mature and develop. The repetition of the phrase "all in good time" throughout the song reinforces the idea that life should be approached with patience and that everything happens at its own pace.
Line by Line Meaning
Cross my heart and hope to die
I swear upon my heart and really hope to die if I'm lying
(All in good time)
This will all happen at the right moment, when it's meant to be
But not before I live my life
However, I won't do it before I experience everything I want to in life
(All in good time)
I trust that the timing will be perfect
So, let's just see how this unfolds
Let's just wait and see what happens, and not rush anything
(All in good time)
I have faith that it will all happen when it's supposed to
Like an onion or a rose
Things will happen layer by layer, revealing themselves slowly and beautifully
(All in good time)
Again, trust that the timing will be perfect
She loves me, she loves me not
I'm not sure if she loves me or not
(All in good time)
It'll be revealed when it's supposed to, nothing to rush
I thought I knew but I forgot
I used to think I knew, but now I'm not so sure
(All in good time)
I'll remember or find out again, when the time is right
Maybe yes, maybe no
It could go either way
(All in good time)
Once again, I'll find out when it's meant to be
More than likely. I suppose
Although it's not a sure thing, it's probable
(All in good time)
Only a matter of time until I know for sure
Goodness knows for goodness sake
Only a higher power knows why things happen the way they do
Good things come to those who wait
Patience is a virtue, and good things come to those who are willing to wait
Sometimes you get the bad things, too
Not everything that happens is good, sometimes bad things happen
Sometimes you got time to kill
Other times, we have too much time on our hands
Sometimes barely time to live
Other times, life seems to be moving too quickly
All in all, we seem to muddle through...
Despite the ups and downs, we make it through in the end
I've seen love run hot and cold
Love can be passionate, but also fickle
(All in good time)
I know that love will happen in the right time, I just need to be patient
I've held it close and let it go
I've experienced the give and take of love, sometimes holding onto it and sometimes letting it go
(All in good time)
Once again, the timing will be right for love to happen
I hope I live 'til I get old
I want to live long enough to experience everything I hope to
(All in good time)
Hopefully, I'll have enough time to experience it all
All my life I have been told
I've been given advice my entire life
(All in good time)
But ultimately, everything will happen when it's supposed to
Contributed by Cole G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.