Mercy

First of all, everytime I hear this song I immediately have a sense that the Angel of Mercy (NOT "into the mercy" because that makes no sense at alllll) is, in fact, God. Considering, Ryan Tedder has a gospel background and the band has a somewhat subliminal catholic message, God's description certainly fits here. However, a girl could easily fit as well, but since Angel of Mercy is capitalized regularly, just as most people would capitalize God or Lord, it makes more sense to be God. Second of all the second verse reads, "Fortress of daylight..." which is another description of God, "...caught me on standby." Yes, the actual official CD cover shows these exact lyrics so don't tell me otherwise. I think this song is almost a testimony of how God can take a person from complete darkness and change everything because He is just so powerful that He could do so with the snap of His fingers. "How did you find me? Where did you read my story?" is an explanation of how well God really knows us since He even knew us before we were born. God knows us more than we even know ourselves. This song just screams God and the world has made it so hard to see the real meaning behind simple things like this.

I think this song is indeed about God.

Angel of mercy How did you find me? Where did you read my story? Pulled from the papers Desperate and hardened seeking a momentary fix

• asking how God noticed that he needed help. It seems to me he was trying to feel whole. But what he was doing wasn't working.

And* I wanted to say All I wanted to do Is fall apart now All I wanted to feel I wanted to love Its all my fault now A Tradegy I fear

• he was in a dilema (personal) and just wanted to give up and fall apart. He tried to feel something and he wanted to love so badly, but it didn't turn out right. He may have gone down the wrong path and lost his way to what he was trying to reach.

Angel of mercy How did you find me? How did you pick me up again? Angel of mercy How did you move me? Why am I on my feet again? And I see you

• asking God how he managed to pick him up and give him the right kind of guidance. he knows his path now.

Whoa Whoa Whoa I feel you Whoa Whoa Whoa

• He can feel God there with him. (A friend told me once that he opened his heart up and spoke to God and said that he wanted him in his life, and the most unusual feeling took over him. He felt like God was there and he listened.)

Fortress of daylight Caught me on stand-by Waiting to catch the quickest plane Flying to nowhere Is better than somewhere That's where i've been and nothing's changed

• Saying how he just wanted to get away from where he was, both physically and emotionally. Saying how he tried going somewhere but it didn't work, so now he just wants to be nowhere.

I'm so lost in you A tragedy seemed to be over now A tradegy it seemed to be over now

• He is now consumed by God, and the tragedy of him losing his way and giving up is over, but it only seemed a tragedy, because in the end God came and helped him. (A tragedy means there is no good from the events that unfold, but now that God's there, it only seems like it was a tragedy as he looks back on it in retrospect.)

So basically this song is about him losing his way, he had good intentions, he wanted to feel and love, but he couldn't get there. He gave up and it was then that God stepped in and showed him the way/gave him faith to get there.

When I first heard this, I could tell why they put it first on their album.

Here is how I see it interpreted...

"Angel of Mercy, how did you find me? Where did you read my story? Pulled from the papers, desperate and hurting Seeking a momentary fix"

This is the time when he is broken and alone. The "Angel of Mercy" I see as hope when he is alone. She is the "momentary fix." Just the knowing there is hope helps and heals, but he doesn't know how there is still hope with him.

"All I wanted to say, all I wanted to do Is fall apart now All I wanted feel, I wanted love It's all my fault now A tragedy I fear"

Everything he was going to do and all of the love for that special someone is gone. It's broken, and he is mourning and hoping their relationship isn't a "tragedy" and there is still a chance for happy ending for them.

Chorus: "Angel of Mercy, how did you find me? How did you pick me up again? Angel of Mercy, how did you move me? Why am I on my feet again?"

The Chorus is him pleading with hope asking why it is still there, when to him it might be hopeless. He is wondering how there can be hope in so much despair.

"I see you Whoa, whoa, whoa I feel you Whoa, whoa, whoa"

He knows and can feel hope is still there in his life.

"Before just the daylight Came and I stand by Waiting to catch the quickest plane To fly me to nowhere It's better than somewhere That's where I've been and nothings changed"

He wants hope to take him from despair. If it takes him anywhere else, even to her he knows that nothing would have changed between them. It would just hurt going back.

"All I wanted to say, all I wanted to do Is fall apart now All I wanted to feel, I wanted to love It's all my fault now A tragedy I chose"

Same as last time except for the last line. He is saying he chose a "tragedy" and that is how it is. It was inevitable what happened between them, and now he has to accept it.

"I'm so lost in you A tragedy, it seemed to be over now A tragedy, it seemed to be over now"

He has come to accept that their relationship is over. There will be no happy ending for both of them. He's moved on, and hope is there to help him.

oh, i don't think it has anything to do with a boy and a girl. i listen to it as if it is a man in disbelief that God would love him anyways, regardless of all that he has done. "How did you find me, how did you pick me up again?" How he says the tragedy is over and the spot that is still the same, but his life is different because of the "Angel of Mercy."

I completely agree with nikham3. I wanted to see what others thought, but I can't see the song being about anything else but God. Yes, it could represent a human relationship but all signs point to God, so that's my opinion. I love how they're saying that we're all human, just like All Fall Down. Just when you think that there's no way out of whatever you got yourself into, God reaches down and puts you back on your feet.

The best part about songs is that they can be interpreted in so many ways...each our own. To me, I think the band is asking why the "Angel of Mercy", or God imo, forgives us even when we do things that shouldn't be forgiven. He wonders why he has such mercy for us even when we do things that we are obviously not supposed to do. That is pretty much my opinion/interp of the song.

I agree with everyone who thinks this song is about our Lord. There is no other explanation for this song! i absolutely love this songg! It speaks to me so muchh!

I would guess its about a man having a hard time..going trough some struggles and singing about how the lord found him even though he was doubting the lord...and he was "picked" up again :) love this song.. one republics songs are so meaning ful :D

yeah, i pretty much love this song.

i think its "Angel of mercy" but maybe i'm hearing it wrong... but ya, great song