Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
I stood in the water
In the middle month of winter
My camel skin was torture
I was in a state of nature
The wind, sir, it was wicked
And I was so alone
And just as I predicted
My followers were gone
And I cried "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
Have mercy upon me (mercy, on me)
And I got down on my knees
Crying "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
I had mercy on me (mercy, on me)
And I got down on my knees
Thrown into a dungeon
Bread and water was my portion
And faith, my only weapon
To rest the devil's legion
The speak-hole would slide open
A viper's voice would plead
A voice thick with innuendo
Syphilis and Greed
And she cried "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
Have mercy upon me (mercy, on me)
I told her to get down on her knees
Crying "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
I have mercy upon me (mercy, on me)
I told her to get down on her knees
A garden full of roses
My hands were tied behind me
My cousin's working miracles
I wondered if he'd find me
The moon advanced toward me
Like a platter made of gold
My death, it almost bored me
So often was it told
And I cried "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
Have mercy on me (mercy, on me)
I dropped down to my knees (to my knees)
And I cried "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
Have mercy on me (mercy, on me)
And then you pushed me to my knees (to my knees)
Mercy (mercy on me)
Have mercy upon me (mercy, on me)
And I dropped down on my knees (on my knees)
Crying "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
I had mercy on me (mercy, on me)
And I got down on my knees (on my knees)
Crying "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
Oh, have mercy, have mercy on me (mercy, on me)
And I dropped down on my knees
In the middle month of winter
My camel skin was torture
I was in a state of nature
The wind, sir, it was wicked
And I was so alone
And just as I predicted
My followers were gone
And I cried "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
Have mercy upon me (mercy, on me)
And I got down on my knees
Crying "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
I had mercy on me (mercy, on me)
And I got down on my knees
Thrown into a dungeon
Bread and water was my portion
And faith, my only weapon
To rest the devil's legion
The speak-hole would slide open
A viper's voice would plead
A voice thick with innuendo
Syphilis and Greed
And she cried "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
Have mercy upon me (mercy, on me)
I told her to get down on her knees
Crying "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
I have mercy upon me (mercy, on me)
I told her to get down on her knees
A garden full of roses
My hands were tied behind me
My cousin's working miracles
I wondered if he'd find me
The moon advanced toward me
Like a platter made of gold
My death, it almost bored me
So often was it told
And I cried "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
Have mercy on me (mercy, on me)
I dropped down to my knees (to my knees)
And I cried "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
Have mercy on me (mercy, on me)
And then you pushed me to my knees (to my knees)
Mercy (mercy on me)
Have mercy upon me (mercy, on me)
And I dropped down on my knees (on my knees)
Crying "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
I had mercy on me (mercy, on me)
And I got down on my knees (on my knees)
Crying "Mercy" (mercy, on me)
Oh, have mercy, have mercy on me (mercy, on me)
And I dropped down on my knees
Lyrics submitted by Dressed2Depress
Mercy Lyrics as written by Nicholas Cave
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Gotta be one of my favourite Cave songs. The desperation is insane. The John the Baptist inspiration is obvious but I tend to think Cave puts more than a little of himself into the character as well.
So no one commented on this yet? Hard to believe. A great song about John the Baptist...a little creepy too, as is most of Nick Cave's work.
Really wonderful song,so touching!But could you explain why this has to do with John the Baptist??This relationship is not so obvious to me... Thanks
Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins ("My cousin was working miracles"). He baptised people in water. He was also arrested and killed. Oh yes, apparently his favourite outfit was camel skin.
The "She" in "She cried mercy" was Herods wife. John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod because he renounced Herod's divorce from his first wife and marrying his brother's wife. I'm guessing the second verse refers to her asking John the Baptist to forgive Herod while he was improsoned. "I asked her to get down on her knew" is obviously his denial of that forgiveness. The third verse refers to his death at her request; to have his head brought to her on a platter. Brilliant, emotional depiction of a very grim Biblical event!