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.

You Move Me
Pierce Pettis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Here's how life seans to me
Life is just therapy
Real expensive with
No guarantees
So I lie here on the couch
With my heart hangin' out
Frozen solid with fear
Like a rock in the ground

First Chorus
But you move me
You give me courage I didn't know I had
You move me
I can't go with you and stay where I am
So you move me

Here's how love was to me
I could look and not see
Going through the emotions
Not knowing what they mean
And it scared me so much
That I just wouldn't budge
I might have stayed there forever
If not for your touch

Second Chorus
But you moved me
Out of myself and into the fire
You move me
Burning with love and with hope and desire
How you move me

You go whistling in the dark
Making light of it, making light of it
And I follow with my heart
Laughing all the way

Third Chorus
You move we
You got me dancin' and you make me sing
You move we
Now I'm taking delight in every little thing
You move me

Oh-oh-oh you move me...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Pierce Pettis’s song, You Move Me, are centered around the idea that life and love can be daunting, filled with fear, and uncertainty. The first verse portrays life as an expensive therapy session, where there are no guarantees. The metaphor of the singer being frozen solid like a rock in the ground amplifies that the fear of uncertainty is paralyzing. However, the chorus signifies that the presence of a significant other, who moves him, gives him courage he never knew he had. The second verse echoes similar emotions of uncertainty to love, where the singer admits going through the emotions, not knowing what love actually means. He feared it so much that he didn't want to take a chance. The idea of staying there forever is haunting. But, the touch of the lover, metaphorically metaphorical movement, sparked something in the singer, making him feel alive. In the second chorus, the singer admits that the lover moved him out of his shell and into the fire of love, hope, and desire.

The third verse marks a change in the tone of the song. In contrast to fear and uncertainty, the singer shifts to taking delight in every little thing, dancin', singing' with his lover. The metaphor of "whistling in the dark" makes light of it, saying that the lover doesn't take life and love too seriously, but that's okay because the singer is ready to follow him with his heart. The last line is a repetition of the refrain from the previous verses, "You move me." Thus, the song, You Move Me by Pierce Pettis, in the end, is a celebration of love, taking risks, being vulnerable, and finding courage in the presence of someone who moves them.

Line by Line Meaning

Here's how life seans to me
The singer is about to describe their perspective on life

Life is just therapy
Life is like a therapy session - a way to work through issues and struggles

Real expensive with
This therapy, or life, is costly - not necessarily in dollars, but in emotional and personal investment

No guarantees
Despite the investment, there are no guarantees that life will work out the way we hope

So I lie here on the couch
The artist takes a metaphorical seat on the couch of introspection

With my heart hangin' out
They are vulnerable and open with their emotions

Frozen solid with fear
Despite the openness, the singer is paralyzed by fear

Like a rock in the ground
This fear feels insurmountable and permanent

First Chorus
The artist is acknowledging that someone has come into their life to help them move past this fear

But you move me
The subject of the song is the person who has helped the artist move forward

You give me courage I didn't know I had
The person has inspired and encouraged the singer beyond what they thought was possible

I can't go with you and stay where I am
The relationship has been transformative, and the artist cannot go back to who they were before

So you move me
The person is a catalyst for change in the singer's life

Here's how love was to me
The singer is describing their past experiences with love

I could look and not see
The singer was emotionally closed off and unable to fully experience love

Going through the emotions
Despite being in relationships, the artist was not invested emotionally

Not knowing what they mean
The artist did not fully understand their own emotions or what they were searching for in a relationship

And it scared me so much
This emotional distance created fear and anxiety

That I just wouldn't budge
Despite the fear and desire for change, the singer was unable to break out of this pattern on their own

I might have stayed there forever
Without intervention, the artist could have remained emotionally closed off indefinitely

If not for your touch
The person who moved the artist forward in the first chorus was able to break through the emotional barrier the artist had built

Second Chorus
The transformative nature of the artist's relationship continues to be the focus of the song

Out of myself and into the fire
The relationship with this person has taken the singer outside of their comfort zone and into new, and sometimes scary, emotional territory

Burning with love and with hope and desire
Despite the fear, the artist has found new emotional depth and passion

How you move me
The person continues to be a positive influence and source of emotion for the singer

You go whistling in the dark
The person is not afraid of the unknown and is able to find joy even in difficult circumstances

Making light of it, making light of it
This positive attitude is infectious, and the person is able to share it with the singer

And I follow with my heart
The artist is able to follow the person's lead in finding joy and positivity

Laughing all the way
Together, the artist and the person are able to find joy and humor, even in difficult times

Third Chorus
The singer's transformation continues to be the focus of the song

You move we
The person has continued to inspire and uplift the singer

You got me dancin' and you make me sing
The artist is able to find joy and positive expression through the relationship

Now I'm taking delight in every little thing
The transformative nature of the relationship has allowed the artist to find joy and positivity in their daily life

You move me
The person continues to be a significant presence and positive influence in the artist's life

Oh-oh-oh you move me...
The song ends with an affirmation of the power and significance of this relationship

Contributed by Camden P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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