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.
Neutral Ground
Pierce Pettis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where saints and sinners chance to meet; what they call the neutral ground,
Met a girl on the Rue Royal; she turned my head around,
Swirling like the mist that creeps along the neutral ground, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, she led me to the riverside and slipped her hand in mine,
I held on to a treasure like I never dreamed I'd find,
The band was playing Dixieland – oh, how I loved that sound,
Well, I quit my job – I swear I never liked it anyway,
Working up in Illinois for a lowly salesman's pay,
Now I'm back New Orleans and making all the rounds,
Searching for the girl I left down on the neutral ground, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Every night's a party here; every day it rains,
And weeks and months stretch longer than the bridge 'cross Pontchartrain,
I walk my feet on narrow streets that wind their way downtown,
Where saints and sinners chance to meet upon the neutral ground,
Where saints and sinners chance to meet upon the neutral ground.
Upon the neutral ground.
In "Neutral Ground" by Pierce Pettis, the singer recounts his journey to New Orleans, where he encounters a girl who captivates him on Rue Royal. They venture to the riverside, where they share a kiss to the melody of Dixieland. After this romp, the singer decides to quit his job in Illinois and move to New Orleans to find the girl he left behind. He describes the city as a place where “saints and sinners chance to meet,” on the “neutral ground,” a term used to describe the medians of New Orleans’ wide avenues where African Americans and European Americans could gather without cultural boundaries.
The song presents a vivid account of the magical atmosphere and abundant pleasures of New Orleans, a city with a rich cultural diversity. Pierce Pettis’ lyrics encompass the spirit of the city’s vibrant culture, such as jazz music, history, wild parties, and romance. Moreover, the song’s simple and direct language further amplifies the emotional impact of the story by creating a sense of intimacy between the listener and the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the train pulled into New Orleans and I made my way downtown,
I arrived in New Orleans by train and headed towards downtown.
Where saints and sinners chance to meet; what they call the neutral ground,
In New Orleans, the place where all kinds of people come together is called the neutral ground.
Met a girl on the Rue Royal; she turned my head around,
I met a girl on Rue Royal and fell for her hard.
Swirling like the mist that creeps along the neutral ground, yeah, yeah, yeah.
She was like the mist that hovers over the neutral ground, enchanting and elusive.
Well, she led me to the riverside and slipped her hand in mine,
She took me to the riverbank and held my hand.
I held on to a treasure like I never dreamed I'd find,
To be with her was a treasure beyond my wildest dreams.
The band was playing Dixieland – oh, how I loved that sound,
The music was Dixieland, a genre that I deeply loved.
We stood and kissed; the streetcars rumbled up the neutral ground, yeah, yeah, yeah.
We kissed as the streetcars passed by on the neutral ground.
Well, I quit my job – I swear I never liked it anyway,
I left my job in Illinois since I never enjoyed it.
Working up in Illinois for a lowly salesman's pay,
I worked as a salesman in Illinois for meager wages.
Now I'm back New Orleans and making all the rounds,
I returned to New Orleans and started socializing with everyone around.
Searching for the girl I left down on the neutral ground, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm looking for the girl I left behind on the neutral ground.
Every night's a party here; every day it rains,
New Orleans is a place where every night is a celebration but every day it rains.
And weeks and months stretch longer than the bridge 'cross Pontchartrain,
Time seems to stretch on in New Orleans like the long bridge across Pontchartrain.
I walk my feet on narrow streets that wind their way downtown,
I walk on narrow, winding streets that lead to the downtown area.
Where saints and sinners chance to meet upon the neutral ground,
The neutral ground is the place where people of all types come together.
Where saints and sinners chance to meet upon the neutral ground.
The neutral ground is where saints and sinners have the opportunity to meet.
Contributed by Annabelle V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.