In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
When I'm in the Mercy Seat
I smile
and lay my weapons down
all I ask is for release
no matter what the cost
there's only one way
to bring a new day
apply the heat that gently turns
my sickness into health
But you can taste the fire for yourself
yeah you can taste the fire for yourself
and when that blood begins to flow
there's nowhere else to go
I feel complete in the Mercy Seat
So complete, in the Mercy Seat
So bind me to the Mercy Seat
and heal me
I promise not to flinch
and ring that bell as loud as you please
it can only make me well
there's only one way
to bring a new day
help me to recall I'm just a man
and that's all I am
But you can taste the fire for yourself
yeah you can taste the fire for yourself
and when that blood begins to flow
there's nowhere else to go
I feel complete in the Mercy Seat
So complete, in the Mercy Seat
So complete, in the Mercy Seat
So complete, in the Mercy Seat
I smile
and lay my weapons down
all I ask is for release
no matter what the cost
there's only one way
to bring a new day
apply the heat that gently turns
my sickness into health
But you can taste the fire for yourself
yeah you can taste the fire for yourself
and when that blood begins to flow
there's nowhere else to go
I feel complete in the Mercy Seat
So complete, in the Mercy Seat
So bind me to the Mercy Seat
and heal me
I promise not to flinch
and ring that bell as loud as you please
it can only make me well
there's only one way
to bring a new day
help me to recall I'm just a man
and that's all I am
But you can taste the fire for yourself
yeah you can taste the fire for yourself
and when that blood begins to flow
there's nowhere else to go
I feel complete in the Mercy Seat
So complete, in the Mercy Seat
So complete, in the Mercy Seat
So complete, in the Mercy Seat
Lyrics submitted by revontulet
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
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/
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Fuckin heroin. Duh. Now fuck off. Idiots
Yeah, everybody says heroin. But "Mercy Seat" can refer to the electric chair, and this makes more sense with these lyrics as a song about death row inmates called "volunteers", many of whom suffer severe mental illness and see execution as a relief to their suffering. Try that and then the heroin version and see what fits better.
The "Mercy Seat" was the name for the seat formed by the wings of the two golden cherubim on the top of the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:20), and in the Old Testament the Ark is often associated with fire - Nadab and Abihu offer "strange fire" before it and are consumed by the fire of God as punishment, sometimes the Ark is carried before the armies of Israel and sends fire upon its enemies, &c..
While this song is obviously about heroine, the choice of title suggests that the singer's addiction is a parody of pious devotion, that instead of the Ark in the Presence of the Lord, he has a fairly normal chair with lots of heroin. Combined with the ambivalence of the lyrics, we hear a man who is half-awake, half-aware of the debilitating he has brought upon himself, unable to grasp it properly, utterly unable to escape it.