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.
Legacy
Pierce Pettis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was handed down to me
Poor dirt farmer
Skinny mule
Parched the red clay
Like it was the Red Sea
It is a legacy
You are a black man
I am a white man
Both come from southland
Both doing the best we can
Well the grim reaper
Is my brother's keeper
The way my brother was kept
Small wonder Jesus wept
Is it a legacy
Passed down to you and me
What we're taught to believe
We never question these things
It is a legacy
It's a wild and bitter seed
Blown across those fertile fields
Where the roots run deep
Both got calloused hands
Blue collared working men
Down here in Bubba land
What's in a name
Both living rent to rent
Some owe the government
We are quite different
We are the same
It is a legacy
Passed down to you and me
What we learn to believe
We never question these things
It is a legacy
A wild and bitter seed
Blown across those fertile fields
Where the roots run deep
Sundays we congregate
Praise Jesus, pass the plate
Sitting in our Sunday best
Singing hymns and wiping sweat
We learn the golden rule
In separate Sunday schools
Our house long divided against itself
It is a legacy
Passed down to you and me
What we choose to believe
We dare not question these things
It is a legacy
It is a wild and bitter seed
Scattered on those fertile fields
Where the roots run deep
Pierce Pettis's song "Legacy" is an introspective piece that explores the idea of inherited beliefs and values. The singer acknowledges the legacy that has been passed down to him and the listener, recognizing that both good and bad aspects of this inheritance have made them who they are now. The opening lines describe the impoverished circumstances that his family came from, including being small-scale farmers and using skinny mules to till the parched, unforgiving soil. The repetition of the phrase "it is a legacy" reinforces the idea that this history is not just something that happened years ago and is now finished, but rather something that continues to shape the present.
The song also touches on issues of race and class, acknowledging the differences and similarities between the singer and a black man. They both come from working-class backgrounds and face similar struggles in life. However, the singer realizes that his white privilege offers him certain advantages that the other man does not have. The song speaks to the idea that people are not just individuals who exist in isolation, but rather are products of their environments and the cultures they are raised in. The final verse describes the ritual of going to church on Sundays and the lessons that are taught there. The idea of the "golden rule" is referenced, but there is also an acknowledgement of the divisions that can exist within communities, and how these divisions can create long-standing legacies.
Line by Line Meaning
It is a legacy
The situation being described is a legacy.
It was handed down to me
The legacy was passed down to the singer.
Poor dirt farmer
The previous generations of farmers were impoverished.
Skinny mule
The mules used for farming were in poor condition.
Parched the red clay
The soil was dry and unproductive.
Like it was the Red Sea
The dryness of the soil was extreme, like a biblical event.
Both me and You
Both the singer and the listener are part of the legacy.
You are a black man
The listener is a black man.
I am a white man
The singer is a white man.
Both come from southland
Both the singer and the listener come from the southern United States.
Both doing the best we can
The singer and the listener are both doing their best in their situation.
Well the grim reaper
Death is personified as a grim reaper figure.
Is my brother's keeper
Death is responsible for the fate of the singer's brother.
The way my brother was kept
The difficult life of the singer's brother.
Small wonder Jesus wept
It is understandable why Jesus wept over the condition of humanity.
Is it a legacy
The singer questions if the current situation is part of the legacy.
Passed down to you and me
The legacy has been passed down to both the singer and the listener.
What we're taught to believe
The beliefs that were instilled in them.
We never question these things
They were taught to accept these beliefs without questioning them.
It's a wild and bitter seed
The legacy has led to difficult circumstances.
Blown across those fertile fields
The legacy has affected the entire farming region.
Where the roots run deep
The legacy has been ingrained in the region for a long time.
Both got calloused hands
Both the singer and the listener work with their hands and have tough skin.
Blue collared working men
Both the singer and the listener have working-class jobs.
Down here in Bubba land
They both live in a rural area with a southern culture.
What's in a name
One's name does not determine their worth.
Both living rent to rent
Both the singer and the listener live paycheck to paycheck.
Some owe the government
Some people owe taxes to the government.
We are quite different
The singer and the listener are different in many ways.
We are the same
Despite their differences, they have similarities.
Sundays we congregate
They come together on Sundays.
Praise Jesus, pass the plate
They participate in religious activities.
Sitting in our Sunday best
They dress up for religious services.
Singing hymns and wiping sweat
They sing hymns and it is hot inside the church building.
We learn the golden rule
They learn to treat others how they want to be treated.
In separate Sunday schools
They are divided by race in their religious education.
Our house long divided against itself
Their community is divided by race and other differences.
What we choose to believe
They have the power to choose what they believe.
We dare not question these things
However, there is a fear of questioning the established beliefs and legacy.
It is a wild and bitter seed
The legacy has produced harsh and difficult circumstances.
Scattered on those fertile fields
The legacy has affected the entire area, which is otherwise rich in resources.
Where the roots run deep
The legacy has been present for generations.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: JAMES NEWTON HOWARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind