MERGED --> Another Mercy Thread + Mercy Interpretation Please

[Lancemc]

Another Mercy Thread

I would have posted this in the already ongoing Mercy thread. but that one has been beaten to shit already, so I thought it might not be a bad idea to start fresh. That being said, I have a few ideas about this song.

First off I think that if this song was finished properly, and maybe edited down to like 5 minutes, it has the potential to become one of U2's strongest songs....ever. THAT being said, I'm glad it's not on HTDAAB. I think it has a feel and structure to it that just doen'st quite fit for me. Maybe if it was reworked a bit I'd feel differently, but for now, no. I'm glad it's not. That album is alread excellent enough.

Secondly, this is what I think the band should do with this song. Maybe after they've released another 2 (maybe three if they do it fast) singles from Hut Dab (still get can't used to typing that, sorry) I think they should rework this song like I suggested earlier, and release it as a single. Maybe after the second leg of the tour before they come back to North America they could do it. Release it worldwide with maybe 2 or three original b-sides. Produce a "good" video for it, and see what happens. I know tons of us here would be overjoyed if this happened.

Personally, I don't want this song to be a b-side. It's too good. I want this song to be a single. I also don't want to wait until the Best of '00-'10 like someone already mentioned. BUT, I know how to face reality and will be EXPECTING this song to appear on an upcoming single. Hopefully they will still rework it a bit, and give it some finishing touches, but damn, if this song were to be a single. Just imagine. Especially after 3 kick-ass singles from Atomic Bomb, that would just be incredible.

 

[blueyedpoet]

I for one completely concur. At 6:30 it's about a :30 to 1:00 to long. This song though does have the potential to just be amazing. I just love the imagery...religion, sex, love, betrayal...god, it's what U2 does best.

 

[Lancemc]

I love the lines like "We're binary code, A one and a zero." and "You're gravity looking for the ground. You're silence looking for a sound." I think this might be one of my favorite lyrics ever though:

"Love is justice, a charity. The enemy of misery. Love has come again."

WOW. Just amazing there.

 

[Dr_Macphisto]

Best song since the aughts began... period

 

[john1800]

Maybe "Mercy" should be used as the starting point for a mid-tour EP. They had some leftovers that they could work the kinks out of while touring, and it seems like inspiration strikes while on tour anyway.

 

[discothequeLP]

I'm just gonna PRAY for this song live! I can barely imagine, actually, what this song would look like live. I'm thinking B-Stage, with Bono walking over to the A-stage, or something big like that.



My favourite part of the song is the chorus. When he says "When i was rippin the stitches" oh man, It's so cool! The gutiar! the delay! The drums, the bass! I also LOVE the part during the last verse, when the says "FEE-EEE-EEE-EEE-EEL!" oh man! it's so great! fuck, i love it

 

[Atomic Monkey]

Yeah, the lyrics are great! Overall, this song kinda reminds me of "Bad". Anyone agree?

 

[FelipeVox]

I don´t think MERCY will be released as a single, but what they can do is perform this song nightly. I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!

 

[mkjc]

I try to stop myself from declaring a song so young as the greatest U2 song ever but I am tempted. Even in its unfinished unreleased version it is a masterpiece. It has the feeling of the live version of Ultraviolet from the August 1993 RDS Dublin show.

 

[mkjc]

BTW, is he saying "feel nothing" or "fear nothing"

 

[diamond]

Mercy Interpretation please.

The new song Mercy..Great song.
Not on the album, it will be a B side.
Is Bono singing about Ali or his Dad?

What do you guys think?


thx,
db9

 

[dandy]

i'm not sure that he's talking about either one of them. but then, i'm not entirely sure what's going on with this song yet. it's one of those mystery songs that pulls you in and takes over your mind, but you can't quite figure it out.

 

[OwnershipIsALie]

I love the lines like "We're binary code, A one and a zero." and "You're gravity looking for the ground. You're silence looking for a sound." I think this might be one of my favorite lyrics ever though:

"Love is justice, a charity. The enemy of misery. Love has come again."

WOW. Just amazing there.

I think that the line is "love is justice, not charity." I saw Bono speak about AIDS and he often says that human rights is not a charity, but justice. It's not like we're giving people something they don't have a right to. That said, I agree that it is an amazing song. Someone said it reminded them of "Bad," and I agree.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

I'll chip in and say "Mercy" is the sort of song that would be an epic centrepiece of an album...ie the non-single track that would be the real masterpiece of an album, its far too good to be cast off as a b-side.

 

[petethechopp]

I say they should leave Mercy the way it is, assuming there is a crisper version we haven't heard, and include it on the next album. But I have a sneaking fear that we're going to hear a new song in a year or two that will include a line or two lifted from Mercy and that will be the end of it. But then, there are enough things going on in that one song that it might inspire a whole album's worth of lyrics.
Maybe they're just saving it as the single for The Best Of 2000-2010 collection

 

[diamond]

Who is THIS SONG written about?

db9

 

[lazarus]

If Bono himself said it was the best b-side ever, I doubt it will just disappear into the ether. If it doesn't seem like something they want to develop for another album, it will be on one of the bomb singles. Always partially morphed into Beautiful Day, and they still put that out. Then again, ATYCLB had weak b-sides, compared to the unreleased stuff from i-Tunes.

I think we should now be talking about a campaign to get this song played live. In addition to making "PLEASE PLAY MERCY" signs at the concerts, anyone who has the luck to meet the band should tell them what a great song Mercy is and how it should be played live, especially if you see them before a show.

With all the great songs on the Bomb to compete for setlist inclusion, it's gonna be tough. Plus the song length. But you never know. If we can just get the band to REHEARSE the damned thing, they will recognize its majestic power!


laz

 

[Lancemc]

I think the Mercy signs at concerts is a great idea. I've never been a big fan of the signs people hold up at concerts, but I might have to make an exception this time around. If I get close enough seats that is.