Peace of Mind

Album: Sittin' In (1971)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Along with "Lovin' Me" and "To Make a Woman Feel Wanted," this is one of three songs in a trilogy on the first Loggins and Messina album. Sittin' In was originally intended to be a Kenny Loggins solo album but didn't end up that way, as it became clear the producer Jim Messina should be billed as an artist.
  • Jim Messina wrote this when he was in the band Poco in the late 1960s, and it has the feeling of a protest song.
  • When Loggins & Messina reunited for a reunion tour in 2005, Kenny decided to improvise on Messina's song by singing his own lines. This can be seen on the DVD Live Sittin' In Again at the Santa Barbara Bowl.
  • "Peace of Mind" was released on the same single as "House at Pooh Corner." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Sara - Silver Spring, MD, for all above
  • Messina formed Poco with guitarist Richie Furay after their band Buffalo Springfield split up in 1968. But Messina and Furay weren't on the same wavelength creatively, as Furay was pushing for a harder rock direction than Messina wanted to go. He eventually quit pitching his songs to Furay, but found an ideal collaborator in Loggins.

    He told ZigZag in 1974: "Tunes like 'Peace Of Mind,' I'd written then, and when I heard Kenny sing it, I knew he was the one that was supposed to do it. It's really funny to write a song and have somebody interpret the material, but that's what I felt I needed when I was working with Poco. Kenny satisfies my desires – I write a particular song and he adds his personal touch to it and that's the kind of relationship I'd hoped Richie and I would have when he first started out, but it was never there."

Comments: 1

  • Katie from HondurasDoes anybody know what the extra lyrics are that Loggins threw in at the Sittin In Live concert in Santa Barbara? I can't make out white what he's saying during the end when he improvised. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E451THwrPqk
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Gentle Giant

Gentle GiantSongwriter Interviews

An interview with Ray and Derek Shulman of the progressive rock band Gentle Giant to discuss counterpoint, polyrhythms, and... Bon Jovi.

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Edwin McCain

Edwin McCainSongwriter Interviews

"I'll Be" was what Edwin called his "Hail Mary" song. He says it proves "intention of the songwriter is 180 degrees from potential interpretation by an audience."