This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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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The Night We Met
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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!