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.
You're Gonna Need This Memory
Pierce Pettis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seasons turn like traffic lights
Like some fine flashing thing just outside whisperin'
Hold on, boy, you're gonna need this memory
I've seen baby hands reach out
Grab my fingers like a vise, grab my glasses
Grab my keys, grab my heart by the strings
If all I got for all my trouble
Is just a box of souvenirs
Still it's worth a lot just to remember
Just to know that I was here
Lovers smile from photographs of endless summers by the sea
Still hear old friends joke and laugh
From the past they call to me
Saying, "Hold on boy, you're gonna need this memory"
If all we got for all our trouble
Is just this box of souvenirs
Still it's worth a lot just to remember
Just so we know that we were here
Footprints walkin' in the sand
The tide will come and wash them clean
Sometimes when you squeeze my hand
I think I know just what you mean
Saying, "Hold on boy, you're gonna need this memory"
Saying, "Hold on boy, you're gonna need this memory"
In Pierce Pettis's song "You're Gonna Need This Memory," the lyrics speak to the power and importance of memory and its ability to sustain us through time. The opening lines compare the passing of seasons to that of a traffic light, with green leaves shivering in the wind as if signaling the start of something new. The singer then reflects on moments where he held onto memories with all his might, such as when a baby's hands clung to his fingers, or when he heard the laughter and jokes of old friends calling to him from the past. The repeated refrain of "Hold on, boy, you're gonna need this memory" reinforces the theme of the song: life is fleeting, and memories are the only lasting things we have to hold onto.
The song's chorus acknowledges that, in the end, all we may have are our "boxes of souvenirs," but even that is worth something in the grand scheme of things. The final verse brings the narrative full circle, with the image of footprints in the sand being washed away by the tide. Even though everything changes and fades away eventually, the memory of those footprints lingers on. The singer's loved one squeezes his hand, and in that moment, they both understand the power of memory to connect them to the past and sustain them into the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Green leaves shiver on that tree
The trees' leaves shake in the wind, indicating changes associated with the passage of time.
Seasons turn like traffic lights
Just like traffic lights change, so the seasons change cyclically and predictably every year.
Like some fine flashing thing just outside whisperin'
The start of a new season feels like an enticing prospect that whispers from outside, coaxing you to relish the moment.
Hold on, boy, you're gonna need this memory
The seasons come and go; you need to hold onto your memories to appreciate and remember them.
I've seen baby hands reach out
The artist has seen the touch of little hands and the love they show us by clinging tightly.
Grab my fingers like a vise, grab my glasses
The baby's grip is firm and relentless, which connotes both love and dependence.
Grab my keys, grab my heart by the strings
The baby's reaching extends beyond physical touch to capture the singer's affections.
Hold on, boy, you're gonna need this memory
The memories of the baby's touch, affection, and love are significant and will be needed to appreciate life's blessings.
If all I got for all my trouble
All the things the artist has experienced or achieved in life boil down to a collection of souvenirs as a result of their hard work and labor.
Is just a box of souvenirs
Despite all the other things they've seen or done, all they have to show for it are a set of souvenirs.
Still it's worth a lot just to remember
The sentimentality associated with those memories makes the box of souvenirs worth holding onto.
Just to know that I was here
The souvenirs are a tangible reminder of existence and experiences in the past.
Lovers smile from photographs of endless summers by the sea
Memories captured in photographs bring a smile to the singer's face, especially those of idyllic summers by the sea.
Still hear old friends joke and laugh
The singer can still hear the laughter and jokes of the older friends whom they used to have during the younger days.
From the past they call to me
The memories they shared call back to the singer, bridging the gap between past and present.
Saying, "Hold on boy, you're gonna need this memory"
The memories of past events enable the artist to appreciate and reflect upon their life's experiences.
If all we got for all our trouble
Even if all one has to show for their efforts and work are memories, they can be enough to give life meaning.
Is just this box of souvenirs
The collected memories, saved in a box or container, are a reminder of life's experiences.
Still it's worth a lot just to remember
The memories gained through all life's experiences are a precious commodity and are worth cherishing.
Just so we know that we were here
These memories are an affirming sign that one has indeed existed and played a role in the world.
Footprints walkin' in the sand
Footprints are a reminder of the ways in which one has moved and journeyed through life.
The tide will come and wash them clean
Just as the tides wash away footprints in the sand, time eventually erases memories and experiences.
Sometimes when you squeeze my hand
The physical pressure of a handhold between lovers represents sharing, caring, and enduring relationships.
I think I know just what you mean
The artist understands the non-verbal communication between the interlocked fingers and the meaning they convey.
Saying, "Hold on boy, you're gonna need this memory"
By reminding the listener to hold onto memories, the singer infers that memories hold value, especially emotional ones.
Saying, "Hold on boy, you're gonna need this memory"
The song culminates in this final line emphasizing the importance of memories as a life guide, advisor and validator.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IRENE REBECCA KELLEY, PIERCE RAY PETTIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind