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.
Appalachian Bloodlines
Pierce Pettis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Coal fields lie so barren and mean
Mountaintops that reach like thorns
And prick the sky until it bleeds
Soot-black faces, rolled up sleeves
Undefeated football teams
From the coal mines up to the major leagues
Appalachian bloodlines
They run dark and they run deep
Deeper than than the furrows
Where the ground is hard and steep
Deeper than the worry lines
On a poor dirt farmer's face
More solemn than a hungry family
When they pause for grace
Carter family singing Amazing Grace
I'll never forget Mama Maybelle's face
Mountain wisdom in her crinkly smile
Its a face I could pick out of any crowd
Churches are full on Sunday morn
Speaking in tongues of Old King James
Family bibles weathered and worn
With ten generations of family names
(CHORUS)
Gets hot around here in the summertime
Hotter than a rocket on the Fourth of July
Hotter than the scenes that twist and wind
In the tortured dreams of a young man's mind
June bug bride at age sixteen
Soon grown old in her faded jeans
With a life of hard work, mouths to feed
Family reunions 'neath the poplar trees
(CHORUS)
The song "Appalachian Bloodlines" by Pierce Pettis is a poignant, descriptive ballad about the rugged beauty and difficulties of life in Appalachia, a region in the eastern United States known for its mountains, coal mining, and poverty. Pettis begins by painting a picture of the stark landscape, with its dark skies, barren coal fields, and mountain peaks that resemble thorns. The people who live in this area are depicted as tough, hardworking individuals represented by soot-black faces and rolled-up sleeves. They have an indomitable spirit represented by undefeated football teams and people who have risen from the mines to the major leagues.
The song also touches on the theme of inheritance, as the deep, dark bloodlines of Appalachia run deeper than the furrows in the earth. The people of the region have weathered many hardships, which is reflected in the worry lines on a poor farmer's face, and yet they remain solemn and proud. The song illustrates a deep sense of community, with families coming together for church on Sunday mornings and family reunions under poplar trees. The chorus, which repeats several times, speaks to the resilience of the people in the region and the power of their heritage.
Line by Line Meaning
Appalachia where the dark sky rolls
The place where the sky is seen as dark, uninviting, and unfriendly
Coal fields lie so barren and mean
The coal mines are empty and harsh
Mountaintops that reach like thorns
The mountains are dry, sharp, and unforgiving
And prick the sky until it bleeds
The mountains seem so high they could hurt the sky
Soot-black faces, rolled up sleeves
Coal workers have faces that are black with coal, and they roll up their sleeves for their work
Undefeated football teams
Despite living in a harsh environment, the people find solace in their sports team winning
From the coal mines up to the major leagues
Despite their difficult living conditions, some people from the area succeed in reaching fame in big sports leagues
The land is torn from shovels and cleats
The ground is physically and metaphorically dug up from people working in the mines and playing sports
Appalachian bloodlines
The traits of the people from this area are passed down from generation to generation
They run dark and they run deep
The shared experiences and hardship of the people give them a strong sense of identity
Deeper than than the furrows
This sense of identity runs deeper than the furrows in the earth from all the mining
Where the ground is hard and steep
The ground and mountains are challenging to live or work on
Deeper than the worry lines
The people's sense of identity is buried even deep compared to the physical marks of stress on their faces
On a poor dirt farmer's face
The stress on the skin of poor dirt farmers is still apparent
More solemn than a hungry family
This identity is something that is very important to the people - it's deeper than the worry on a hungry family's faces
When they pause for grace
They actively take a moment to be grateful for what they have
Carter family singing Amazing Grace
A reference to Appalachian musicians and the influence of religion on the region
I'll never forget Mama Maybelle's face
A personal anecdote to emphasize the power of creating memories with other people
Mountain wisdom in her crinkly smile
The people of Appalachia have wisdom unique to their culture and lifestyle
Its a face I could pick out of any crowd
The individuality of people in this shared culture stands out from others
Churches are full on Sunday morn
Religion is still an important aspect of the people's lives
Speaking in tongues of Old King James
They worship in a style that promotes tradition and unity
Family bibles weathered and worn
Their religious traditions are preserved in their worn bibles
With ten generations of family names
The importance of family and family names is emphasized
Gets hot around here in the summertime
Appalachia is still geographically hot and uncomfortable in the summer
Hotter than a rocket on the Fourth of July
An example of how people use humor to cope with difficulties
Hotter than the scenes that twist and wind
The hardships and challenges in their daily lives cause stress, anxiety or worry
In the tortured dreams of a young man's mind
The difficult life can be incredibly difficult to escape
June bug bride at age sixteen
Marriage at a young age is common in many rural areas
Soon grown old in her faded jeans
People work hard for their families, causing them to look older than their years
With a life of hard work, mouths to feed
The people must work hard every day to provide for themselves and their families
Family reunions 'neath the poplar trees
They cherish being together, especially with the family that they hold dear
Appalachian bloodlines
The people from this area have a deep emotional connection to and sense of pride in their cultural identity
They run dark and they run deep
Their history and traditions span back generations and carries a lot of weight emotionally and even physically
Contributed by Tristan T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.