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.
Depending On Gravity
Pierce Pettis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't like looking down
I tend to get my bearings
From things that don't move around
I've always placed a lot in faith
In the ground beneath my feet
Oh and I have lived my life
Depending on gravity
Now I'm up here on this high wire
Feeling lighter than the air
It's a precarious position
But I don't even care
Better watch my step, I guess
It just takes one false move
And I could fall for you
Depending on gravity
Don't you over wish
That you could stray a bit off course
To where the laws of physics
Aren't so strictly enforced
Just let me hold you in suspense
And let the chips tall where they must
Depending on gravity
Depending on gravity
All things being equal
When you've fallen on your face
But in my flying dreams it seems
I'm somehow lifted up
And it seems there's just too much
Depending on gravity
Depending on gravity
The song "Depending on Gravity" by Pierce Pettis is a beautiful portrayal of how the singer has had a fear of heights and how they have always relied on the ground beneath their feet to give them confidence. The singer has always gotten their bearings from things that don't move around and have placed a lot of faith in the ground beneath their feet. The singer has lived their life depending on gravity, meaning that they have always been grounded by the physical forces of the earth.
However, in the song, the singer finds themselves in a precarious position as they are up on a high wire and feeling lighter than air. This position is a challenge for the singer, but they are willing to embrace it. The singer acknowledges that they could fall for the person they are addressing in the song, depending on gravity. The singer asks the person not to try and stray too far off course, but instead to let them hold them in suspense while they trust the physical forces of gravity. The song beautifully captures the feeling of falling in love and how it can feel like being lifted off the ground.
Overall, "Depending on Gravity" is a beautiful and insightful song that expresses the relationship between the physical forces of gravity and emotions like love and trust. The song shows how, despite our fears and doubts, we can learn to rely on the forces that ground us and help us to stay confident and connected to the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
I've always had this fear of heights
I have always been afraid of high places
I don't like looking down
I don't like to look down from a high place
I tend to get my bearings
I usually get my sense of direction
From things that don't move around
from things that are stable and unchanging
I've always placed a lot in faith
I have always had a lot of trust
In the ground beneath my feet
In the earth beneath me
Oh and I have lived my life
I have lived my life up to this point
Depending on gravity
by relying on the force that holds us to the earth
Now I'm up here on this high wire
I am now up on a high wire
Feeling lighter than the air
I feel lighter than the air around me
It's a precarious position
It's a dangerous position
But I don't even care
But I don't even mind
Better watch my step, I guess
I better be careful where I step
It just takes one false move
One wrong step will do
And I could fall for you
And I could fall in love with you
Don't you over wish
Don't you wish too hard
That you could stray a bit off course
That you could deviate from your path a bit
To where the laws of physics
To a place where the laws of physics
Aren't so strictly enforced
Are not so stringent
Just let me hold you in suspense
Let me keep you on the edge of your seat
And let the chips tall where they must
And let circumstances fall where they will
Depending on gravity
Relying on the force that holds us to the earth
All things being equal
Assuming everything is the same
When you've fallen on your face
When you have failed or made a mistake
But in my flying dreams it seems
But in my dreams of flying
I'm somehow lifted up
I am lifted up somehow
And it seems there's just too much
And it seems there is too much pressure
Depending on gravity
Relying on the force that holds us to the earth
Contributed by Samantha J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.