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.
Love Will Always Find Its Way
Pierce Pettis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Carry you away,
Caught in the current sweeping you along,
Running deeper every day.
Oh, my love, look at you,
I love you more than I can say,
Now I know that it's true,
"Hello" and "Goodbye" divided by a line down the middle of the road,
But the same road that takes you so far away can bring you back home.
Oh, my love, if I go, it will never be to stay,
I will come back, I know,
Love will always find it's way.
I cannot escape the fact that I have made some trouble for myself,
The trouble's so deep, but the water was sweet by the river where I knelt.
Oh, my love, wash me clean, like a sidewalk in the rain,
Take my arm, walk with me,
Love will always find it's way.
Love will always find it's way,
Love will always find it's way.
The lyrics of Pierce Pettis's Love Will Always Find Its Way describe the power of love, and how it lasts and persists through any difficulty or challenge. The first verse speaks of a force too strong to be stopped - a river that carries you away, deeper and deeper every day. The metaphor of the river represents the all-encompassing power of love and how it takes over your life. The chorus reaffirms the message of the song - that this love cannot be contained or controlled, but it will always find its way. This kind of love is unshakeable and constant, always pulling you back.
The second verse describes the distance between two people who are saying goodbye, but reminds us that the same road that separates them can also bring them back together. In the desperate moments of trouble, love has the power to wash us clean, offering forgiveness and redemption. The final chorus repeats the song's central theme - that love will never be stopped or defeated.
Overall, the lyrics of Love Will Always Find Its Way are about the strength of love, its power to overcome obstacles, and how it endures through all things.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't stop a river, don't even try it,
It's impossible to stop a river's flow, so don't waste your time trying.
Carry you away,
The river's current is strong enough to sweep you away if you're not careful.
Caught in the current sweeping you along,
Once you're caught in the river's current, it's difficult to break free and it will carry you along.
Running deeper every day.
The river's flow becomes stronger and more powerful with every passing day.
Oh, my love, look at you,
Expressing admiration and love to the person being addressed.
I love you more than I can say,
The singer's love for the addressed person is so strong that words cannot express it fully.
Now I know that it's true,
The singer has come to realize and believe that love will always find its way.
Love will always find it's way.
Love is powerful enough to find a way through any obstacles or challenges.
"Hello" and "Goodbye" divided by a line down the middle of the road,
The road represents the division between being together and being apart, between hellos and goodbyes.
But the same road that takes you so far away can bring you back home.
Despite separating people, the same road can also bring them back together again.
Oh, my love, if I go, it will never be to stay,
The singer may leave, but it won't be a permanent parting.
I will come back, I know,
The artist is confident that they will return.
I cannot escape the fact that I have made some trouble for myself,
The singer acknowledges that they have made mistakes and created difficulty for themselves.
The trouble's so deep, but the water was sweet by the river where I knelt.
Despite the difficulties, the singer found solace in the sweet water of the river where they knelt.
Oh, my love, wash me clean, like a sidewalk in the rain,
The singer wants to be cleansed of their troubles, like a sidewalk cleaned by rain.
Take my arm, walk with me,
The artist wants the person being addressed to accompany them on their journey, offering support.
Love will always find it's way.
Reiterating the belief that love is strong enough to overcome obstacles.
Love will always find it's way.
Restating the main theme of the song - that love is powerful and will always thrive.
Contributed by Tyler K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Eric Paul
Chris, thanks so much for sharing the videos from last nights house concert. It was a great time !