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.
From Way Up Here
Pierce Pettis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From way up here it's beautiful indeed,
From way up here the world is calm and strange,
From way up here can't even see the pain…
Of faces held up to the sky in fearful prayers for peace,
No prison holes, no tortured souls waiting for release.
From way up here you wouldn't know at all…
That children weep, their voices strained,
They are so far away,
Beneath the clouds on dusty plains, where thousands die each day.
From way up here I almost could believe in this blue ball as fragile as a leaf.
But down below creation groans,
And every living thing must run beneath the blood red moon and never find relief.
From way up here it's beautiful indeed,
From way up here, oh,
From way up here.
The lyrics of Pierce Pettis's song "From Way Up Here" can be interpreted as an observation from a distant and elevated perspective. It describes how from way up high, the world seems beautiful and serene, but it also highlights the fact that the reality down below is quite different. The singer acknowledges that from a certain vantage point, the world appears to be free from pain, anguish, and struggle. But as one looks closely, they will realize that the world that they see from up there is not the same as the world that exists down below, where countless people are suffering in various ways.
In the first verse, the song brings to light the dark and painful side of the world. The faces of people who pray for peace in fear, the souls stuck in prison, and the people waiting for release from torture are far from the perspective of one looking from way up there. The second verse continues to describe the sadness and suffering, as children weep and die thousands from dusty plains, all of which are unseen from the elevated point of view. While it may seem beautiful from way up high, the truth of human harm, pain, and suffering is hidden from view.
In the end, the song shares a feeling of uncertainty and hopelessness. The singer admits that the view from up high could almost allow them to believe in the beauty and fragility of the world but ultimately acknowledges the pain and groans of the world. Despite the view from way up high seeming serene, it's clear that the realities of the world remain painful and oppressive.
Line by Line Meaning
From way up here, as far as you can see,
Observing the world from a great height, everything appears minute and far away.
From way up here it's beautiful indeed,
Despite the distance, the aerial view of the world displays its breathtaking beauty.
From way up here the world is calm and strange,
The serenity of the world from a distance is odd and different.
From way up here can't even see the pain…
The problems present in the world are not visible from a high point of view.
Of faces held up to the sky in fearful prayers for peace,
People on the ground pray for peace by looking up to the sky with fearful expressions.
No prison holes, no tortured souls waiting for release.
The misery caused by oppression and captivity is not visible from a high altitude.
From way up here the world is very small,
The planet appears tiny when viewed from an aerial perspective.
From way up here you wouldn't know at all…
Someone observing from far away would be oblivious to the struggles of life on the ground.
That children weep, their voices strained,
Children's cries can't be heard when one is out of earshot.
They are so far away,
Children's suffering is almost undetectable from a great height.
Beneath the clouds on dusty plains, where thousands die each day.
Thousands of people perish every day in places hidden by clouds on dry and barren lands.
From way up here I almost could believe in this blue ball as fragile as a leaf.
The view of planet Earth from space makes it seem delicate, much like a fragile leaf.
But down below creation groans,
On the ground, life on Earth is painful and challenging.
And every living thing must run beneath the blood red moon and never find relief.
Living creatures on the planet have to keep moving to survive amidst endless suffering, under a red moon that brings no solace.
From way up here it's beautiful indeed,
The grandeur of the world from a high altitude is still mesmerizing.
From way up here, oh,
This is a reminder that the artist is still observing from a high point.
Contributed by Alexander O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.