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.
Tinseltown
Pierce Pettis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Free of the land who've lost their farms and houses to the banker's sleight of hand,
Businessmen in German cars talking on telephones, while downtown at the shelter children eat from metal bowls.
The young and the pointless,
Disciples of TV who grew up 'neath the sky blue tube of mediocrity,
Global village idiots,
The young and the rest, well, they're taking the place of the human race in the land I love the best.
America, America, you've trickled down on me,
And you've crowned your good with Hollywood from sea to shining sea,
And the great communicators are manipulating you,
'Cause no one back in Tinseltown gives a damn about the truth.
Maybe we're just lazy, safe here in our wombs,
Still listening to the echoes of the baby boom,
Surrounded by these luxuries we seem to think we need,
We're the richest country in the world, but we are poor indeed.
America, America, how you've trickled down on me,
And you crowned your good with Hollywood from sea to shining sea,
And the great communicators, they're just manipulating you,
'Cause no one back in Tinseltown gives a damn about the truth.
Home of the homeless,
Free of the land who've lost their jobs to workers in Korea and Japan,
The rich only get richer and the poor, they do not exist,
And we betray our consciences with a Judas kiss.
America, America, you've trickled down on me,
And you've crowned your good with Hollywood from sea to shining sea,
And your great communicators, they're just manipulating you,
'Cause no one back in Tinseltown gives a damn about the truth,
And the great communicators, oh, they're just fooling you,
'Cause no one back in Tinseltown gives a damn about the truth,
Children, no one back in Tinseltown gives a damn about you.
The song “Tinseltown” by Pierce Pettis is a commentary on the state of America, and specifically its entertainment industry. It starts off by painting a vivid picture of the homeless population of America, those who have lost their farms and houses to the bankers' sleight of hand. The contrast with the well-off businessmen in German cars talking on the phone highlights the inequality present in American society. The children eating from metal bowls at the shelters starkly underscores this inequality.
The next verse focuses on the younger generation, who Pettis refers to as "disciples of TV." They grew up under the sky blue tube of mediocrity and have become global village idiots. Pettis highlights the sense that America is full of people who are unthinking and simply accepting whatever they hear on TV. The current generation of youth is taking the place of the human race, reflecting the sense of disillusionment that older generations may feel with America's future.
The chorus echoes throughout the song, with the relentless refrain of “America, America, how you've trickled down on me” underscoring how America is failing its citizens. The great communicators are manipulating the truth, and Tinseltown is one such place where this is happening. The song doesn't shy away from highlighting the corruption in America's entertainment industry, with the final lyrics emphasizing that nobody in Tinseltown cares about the truth or the children who represent America's future.
Line by Line Meaning
Home of the homeless,
This country, which prides itself on freedom and prosperity, is home to a large population of homeless individuals who have been displaced from their homes and farms due to the banking system's manipulation.
Free of the land who've lost their farms and houses to the banker's sleight of hand,
The rural population, which has been impacted by the banking system's unjust practices, has been pushed out of their homes and farms.
Businessmen in German cars talking on telephones, while downtown at the shelter children eat from metal bowls.
While businessmen in their luxury German cars go about their day, children at a nearby shelter are forced to eat from metal bowls due to their lack of resources and opportunities.
The young and the pointless,
The younger generation has been raised on a steady diet of mediocre television, which has left them feeling aimless and without purpose.
Disciples of TV who grew up 'neath the sky blue tube of mediocrity,
The younger generation has grown up under the influence of television, which has made them subservient to mediocre programming and limited their potential.
Global village idiots,
The younger generation is made up of individuals who lack cultural awareness and intelligence.
The young and the rest, well, they're taking the place of the human race in the land I love the best.
The younger generation has taken over and is replacing the previous generation in a country that the singer loves dearly.
America, America, you've trickled down on me,
The negative effects of the country's policies and practices have trickled down to the singer and impacted him personally.
And you've crowned your good with Hollywood from sea to shining sea,
The entertainment industry has become a symbol of this country's cultural influence and dominance worldwide.
And the great communicators are manipulating you,
Those in positions of power and authority are manipulating the public through their rhetoric and communication strategies.
'Cause no one back in Tinseltown gives a damn about the truth.
The people in the entertainment industry, who the singer refers to as 'Tinseltown,' are not concerned with truth or accuracy, but rather with whatever makes them money and gains them popularity.
Maybe we're just lazy, safe here in our wombs,
Perhaps we as a society are just too comfortable and complacent in our current circumstances, reluctant to take action or bring about change.
Still listening to the echoes of the baby boom,
We are still listening to the ideas and values of the generation that came of age during the baby boom, despite the fact that the world has changed significantly since then.
Surrounded by these luxuries we seem to think we need,
We have become so accustomed to our luxuries and material possessions that we mistake them for necessities.
We're the richest country in the world, but we are poor indeed.
Despite the fact that we are considered the wealthiest nation in the world, we are actually impoverished when it comes to our moral values and compassion for our fellow citizens.
Free of the land who've lost their jobs to workers in Korea and Japan,
Many workers in America have lost their jobs due to companies outsourcing labor to other countries such as Korea and Japan.
The rich only get richer and the poor, they do not exist,
The gap between the wealthy and the rest of society continues to widen, leaving those in poverty largely ignored and neglected.
And we betray our consciences with a Judas kiss.
We are hypocritical in our actions, professing to care about others while our actions betray our true intentions.
Children, no one back in Tinseltown gives a damn about you.
The younger generation is being ignored and undervalued by those in the entertainment industry, who are only focused on their own profits and success.
Contributed by Joshua S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.