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.
God Believes in You
Pierce Pettis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Confounded by the evidence – God believes in you,
When your chances seem so slim,
When your light burns so dim,
And you swear you don't believe in Him; God believes in you.
When you rise up just to fall again, God believes in you,
Deserted by your closest friends – God believes in you,
It doesn't have to end like this – God believes in you.
Everything matters, if anything matters at all,
Everything matters; no matter how big, no matter how small.
Oh, God believes in you,
Oh, God believes in you.
When you're so ashamed that you could die, God believes in you,
And you can't do right, even though you try – God believes in you.
Blessed are the ones who grieve, the ones who mourn, the ones who bleed,
In sorrow you sow, but in joy you'll reap – God believes in you,
Blessed are the ones who grieve, the ones who mourn, the ones who bleed,
In sorrow you sow, but in joy you will reap – God believes in you.
Oh, God believes in you,
Oh, God believes in you.
Pierce Pettis’s song God Believes in You is a powerful ballad that offers a message of hope and faith to those who are struggling with doubt, despair, and pain. The song speaks directly to those who are feeling lost or alone, telling them that no matter what they may be going through, God is still with them and still believes in them. The lyrics paint a picture of a compassionate and understanding God who sees us in our moments of darkness and still offers us the light of his grace.
Throughout the song, Pettis references a range of experiences that might cause someone to doubt themselves or their faith, from feeling invisible and ignored to facing betrayal and persecution. But in each case, he assures the listener that God remains steadfast in his love and support. The chorus rings out with the repeated affirmation, “Oh, God believes in you,” driving home the point that no matter what we may face in this life, we are never truly alone.
The song also offers a wider message about the nature of suffering and the redemptive power of faith. The final verse offers a variation on the Beatitudes, reminding listeners that even in our darkest moments we can find strength and hope, and that our struggles will ultimately lead us to a place of joy and renewal. The overall effect of the song is to offer comfort and reassurance to those who are struggling, and to remind us all that no matter how difficult the journey may be, we are never left without hope.
Line by Line Meaning
When you start to doubt if you exist, God believes in you,
Even if you question your own existence, God has faith in you.
Confounded by the evidence – God believes in you,
Regardless of what evidence seems to suggest, God still has trust in you.
When your chances seem so slim,
Even when your likelihood of success is small,
When your light burns so dim,
And even when you feel like your inner light is fading,
And you swear you don't believe in Him; God believes in you.
And even if you deny belief in God, He still believes in you.
When you rise up just to fall again, God believes in you,
Even if you keep trying and failing, God still has faith in you.
Deserted by your closest friends – God believes in you,
Even if your friends abandon you, God still sticks by you.
When you're betrayed with a kiss and you turn your cheek to another fist,
Even when someone you love hurts you deeply, you still forgive them,
It doesn't have to end like this – God believes in you.
And it's never too late to make things right because God still believes in you.
Everything matters, if anything matters at all,
All things are significant, no matter how big or small.
Oh, God believes in you,
The message of the song is that God wholeheartedly believes in you.
When you're so ashamed that you could die, God believes in you,
Even when you are incredibly ashamed, God still believes in you.
And you can't do right, even though you try – God believes in you.
Even when you struggle to do what's right, God still has faith in you.
Blessed are the ones who grieve, the ones who mourn, the ones who bleed,
Those who experience pain and heartache are blessed because they will find joy in due time.
In sorrow you sow, but in joy you'll reap – God believes in you,
Even when you're in pain, God knows that joy will come.
Oh, God believes in you,
No matter what happens, God always has faith in you.
Contributed by Peyton E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TheLonelyOnesMusic
In my work as a clinical chaplain, I play this for folks all the time. Especially in work with those suffering with mental illness.
Andy McKinney
TheLonelyOnesMusic Good for you my friend. I know how dark it can get.
jude25
Thank you. Great lyrics. Getting hold of the love of God is for us what learning to read is for an education...
jbrockin10
Man, did I ever need to hear this song right now, thanks for posting !
Alan Bruce
God bless you, Pierce Pettis.
Elaine Silver
I LOVE Pierce Pettis! :)
Dave Byers
Wow... I never heard of this guy and a fellow writer said I reminded him of this guy. Dunno... he's a LOT more talented than I am. I'm a fan. Wonderful song and writing.
Sambambino
This song is very uplifting to me !
Joe and Carolyn Isaacs
great song!
Dennis J. Hassell
This song helped get me through a career/ministry shipwreck. Gonna play at my funeral. I'm going to attend for sure. :)