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.
My Heart Goes Out
Pierce Pettis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My heart goes out when I think of you, my friend,
And it flies to your door stronger than it was before.
Oh, my soul feels the undertow,
Caught up in the flood of more love than I can hold,
The tide comes in, oh, and my heart goes out,
My heart goes out.
My heart goes out though this world is cold,
My heart goes out, in spite of everything I know,
Even when there is a cost, well, I am better for the loss.
Oh, my soul feels the undertow,
Caught up in the flood of more love than I can hold,
The tide comes in, oh, and my heart goes out,
My heart goes out.
My heart goes out.
My heart goes out, like a flare in the night,
Through the shadow of a doubt I will shine this one light,
For a world I cannot save and anyone who feels this way.
Oh, my soul feels the undertow,
Caught up in the flood of more love than I can hold,
The tide comes in – oh, my heart goes out.
My heart goes out,
My heart goes out,
My heart goes out,
Oh.
The song "My Heart Goes Out" by Pierce Pettis is a touching expression of love and friendship. The lyrics speak to the intensity of emotions that can come with caring deeply for someone, even in the face of difficult circumstances. The opening lines describe the singer's heart as going out "like a flame in the wind" when they think of their friend. This imagery suggests both warmth and vulnerability, as well as the ephemeral nature of these feelings.
As the song continues, the intensity of the singer's emotions builds. They describe feeling caught up in "the flood of more love than I can hold," a feeling that seems to overwhelm them. At the same time, the singer acknowledges the difficult realities of the world and the costs of caring deeply. Despite this, they feel that they are "better for the loss," suggesting that the experience of loving and losing is ultimately enriching.
The final verses of the song take on a more hopeful tone, with the singer expressing their desire to be a beacon of light in a dark world. They acknowledge that they can't save the world or anyone in it, but they can offer the small light of their love and compassion. Overall, "My Heart Goes Out" is a powerful expression of the complexities of love and the beauty of caring deeply for others.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart goes out, like a flame in the wind,
My feelings go out to you strongly and swiftly, much like a flame flickering in the wind.
My heart goes out when I think of you, my friend,
Thinking of you, my friend, causes my heart to overflow with emotions and sympathies.
And it flies to your door stronger than it was before.
My heart rushes to your doorstep with more intensity and vigor than it did previously.
Oh, my soul feels the undertow,
My spirit is overcome with powerful and irresistible emotions.
Caught up in the flood of more love than I can hold,
I am consumed by abundance of love that I cannot contain nor resist.
The tide comes in, oh, and my heart goes out,
As the tide comes in, and the potency of emotions increases, my heart's sympathies increasingly grow stronger.
My heart goes out though this world is cold,
Despite the world's unfriendliness and austerity, my heart's sympathies towards you are undimmed.
My heart goes out, in spite of everything I know,
Despite everything I know about the situation, I cannot but help feeling a deep connection towards you.
Even when there is a cost, well, I am better for the loss.
Although there may be some sacrifice involved, it is still worth it in the long run as it helps me become a better person.
My heart goes out, like a flare in the night,
My heart's sympathies towards you burn as brightly as a flare in the night, illuminating the darkness.
Through the shadow of a doubt I will shine this one light,
Even though I am not certain, I will still express my love and sympathies towards you with clarity and brightness.
For a world I cannot save and anyone who feels this way.
My heart goes out to everyone who shares similar feelings, even though the world may be beyond salvation.
My heart goes out,
My heart's sympathies towards you and others are ever-present and omnipresent.
Oh.
An expression of deep, internal feeling.
Contributed by Sebastian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.