Pierce Pettis (born April 14, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter from F… Read Full Bio ↴Pierce Pettis (born April 14, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter from Fort Payne, AL.

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.

We will meet again
Pierce Pettis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I don't get to see you,
Will I see you again?
And if I don's get to hold you,
Will I hold you again?
In the mystical union of a love that never ends,
We will meet again

If I never told, how much you mean to me

Some day I will show you
And all the world will see
In the middle of forever
In the company of friends
We will meet again

It's not a long, long time
Just a twinkling of an eye
Oh, I know
We will meet again

When tears are wipped away
There's a smile on every face
I know we will meet again

So if we'ere ever parted
Across the great divide
And we find ourselves like orphans
Each one on the other side
Just as I love you now
I will love you then
And we will meet again

It's not a long long time
Just a twinkling of an eye
Oh, I know
We will meet again

When tears are wipped away

There's a smile on every face
I know we will meet again

Overall Meaning

Pierce Pettis's "We Will Meet Again" is a beautiful reflection on the idea of reunion after a period of separation or loss. As the song begins, the singer ponders whether or not they will see the person they care about again in the future. The uncertainty of life can make it hard to feel secure in our relationships, but the singer holds onto hope that they will meet again someday. They also express a desire to hold the person again, emphasizing the physical connection that love can create.

The second verse of the song shifts to a more hopeful tone, as the singer assures the listener that they will one day be able to show them how much they mean to them. They describe the reunion as taking place in the "middle of forever," hinting at the idea of an afterlife or some kind of eternal existence beyond this world. They also picture the meeting as being in the company of friends, perhaps suggesting that the relationship being described is a communal one that involves multiple people.

The final verse of the song describes a potential scenario in which the two lovers are separated by death, but the singer makes it clear that their love will still endure. They emphasize the idea that the reunion will be just as meaningful and loving as their current relationship, regardless of any external factors.

Line by Line Meaning

If I don't get to see you,
Wondering if I will see you again if we don't have the chance to meet

Will I see you again?
Questioning if we will meet again in the future

And if I don's get to hold you,
Questioning if we will have the chance to embrace each other

Will I hold you again?
Asking if we will have a chance to embrace in the future

In the mystical union of a love that never ends,
Belief in a connection that transcends time and space

We will meet again
Assurance that we will see each other again

If I never told, how much you mean to me
Regretting not expressing how important you are to me

Some day I will show you
Believing that one day I will demonstrate how much you mean to me

And all the world will see
Everyone will observe the bond that we share

In the middle of forever
In the midst of an everlasting existence

In the company of friends
Surrounded by loved ones