Why Mercy is the 20th Century's Bad

[Peterrrrr]

In my opinion Mercy is this decade answer on Bad, why?

- Mercy have some sound that band have in most of their songs this decade, but the song also very different from the other songs on this decade. It has a special atmosphere.v The same is with Bad.

- Most of the Mercy lines is sing in a low key but there are some higher parts "you loooooooove me" and "feeeeeeeeeeeeeel", same with Bad(Wide Awake).

- Both songs are long.

- Both songs name isnt singed in the song

- Both songs arent released as a single



I know that some members are going to write "Mercy is overrated", "Mercy's lyrics is bad"......

I think it has been a "cool" thing to say that the song is overrated, that some members only thinks it overrated because it is a so popular song by all members.

 

[LemonMelon]

You've got to come up with something better than that.

 

[Canadiens1131]

Oh noooooooo

 

[xaviMF22]

- Both songs are long.

X50

 

[xaviMF22]

- Both songs arent released as a single

Mercy hasn't even been released

X Infinity

 

[neutral]

 

[Canadiens1131]

Remember that kid you liked to throw Jenga blocks at in kindergarden...?

 

[neutral]

Think you guys could maybe move on to another thread and give this one a chance? (Or at least reply with more than smileys, insults, etc)

 

[doctorwho]

Similarities aside, "Mercy" will never be a "Bad" until it is released and then played in public.

"Bad" is famed, not because of being a huge hit single, but because it is a concert favorite. Just about everyone at a U2 concert knows the song (admittedly, some do not know it's called "Bad"). But once those opening notes start, we love it!

In contrast, "Mercy" wasn't even a b-side. If it appears on the next album, as many of us hope, fantastic. Let's see what happens. Personally, I feel HTDAAB would have been better with the song, but it was U2's decision. After the song is released, let's see how it sits in concert.

"Bad" had that wonderful climatic, power-house refrain. "Mercy" lacks that - so to be honest, I don't see "Mercy" being some classic for years to come. After all, there are reasons U2 chose not to release the song, and maybe this is one of them.

 

[LemonMelon]

"Bad" had that wonderful climatic, power-house refrain. "Mercy" lacks that - so to be honest, I don't see "Mercy" being some classic for years to come. After all, there are reasons U2 chose not to release the song, and maybe this is one of them.

"I HEAR YOU TAAAAALLLLLKKKK
FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLL NOTHING!!!"

is pretty great, if you ask me.

 

[LMP]

I thought Bad was the 20th Century's Bad?

just a thought

But it's a good song, and still has potential to be great. I still don't like it's odd praise and bashing here, but hey, that's Interference for you.

 

[Axver]

I thought Bad was the 20th Century's Bad?

just a thought

Funny how it's the 21st century now, eh?

 

[Irishteen]

I thought Bad was the 20th Century's Bad?.

 

[corianderstem]

In my opinion Mercy is this decade answer on Bad, why?

- Mercy have some sound that band have in most of their songs this decade, but the song also very different from the other songs on this decade. It has a special atmosphere.v The same is with Bad.

- Most of the Mercy lines is sing in a low key but there are some higher parts "you loooooooove me" and "feeeeeeeeeeeeeel", same with Bad(Wide Awake).

- Both songs are long.

- Both songs name isnt singed in the song

- Both songs arent released as a single

I'm not sure what you mean by your first example, but I think if you want to compare two songs - particularly a song as powerful as Bad - you have to come up with something more substantial than the superficial points you've used here.

 

[discothequeLP]

i wouldn't go as far as to say that Mercy is as good as Bad, but almost.

 

[Danny Boy]

Mercy is a demo; a good demo, but a demo none the less. Let's hear it released and performed live, then we can talk about how it compares to Bad.

 

[discothequeLP]

Mercy is a demo; a good demo, but a demo none the less. Let's hear it released and performed live, then we can talk about how it compares to Bad.

Mercy is not a demo. A demo is 'Chances Away.' Mercy is an album track, which we happen to have in a very low quality mp3 (unfortunately). Even Bono said that Mercy was pulled very late in the game.

 

[Canadiens1131]

Mercy is not a demo. A demo is 'Chances Away.' Mercy is an album track, which we happen to have in a very low quality mp3 (unfortunately). Even Bono said that Mercy was pulled very late in the game.

No, it's not an album track. It did not make the cut, and came out as an unreleased. It's no more than Smile or Beautiful Ghost (which are considered good songs by some).

 

[discothequeLP]

No, it's not an album track. It did not make the cut, and came out as an unreleased. It's no more than Smile or Beautiful Ghost (which are considered good songs by some).

ok. but it has not been released (yet), which makes it different from Smile and Beautiful Ghost (besides the fact that it's 100x better than either).

 

[Lancemc]

"I HEAR YOU TAAAAALLLLLKKKK
FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLL NOTHING!!!"

is pretty great, if you ask me.

Nah, that sucks. But

"I HEAR YOU DON'T FEEEEAAARRR NOTHING." is fantastic. (the real lyrics)

 

[discothequeLP]

Nah, that sucks. But

"I HEAR YOU DON'T FEEEEAAARRR NOTHING." is fantastic. (the real lyrics)

what??


it is in fact 'i hear you talk, feel(in) nothing, i feel nothing. . . '

 

[Lancemc]

Ahh, it seems you're right. I had it confused with the

"I can hear so much
Fear nothing."

verse that follows. My apologies.

 

[lazarus]

If we are to believe the magazine article that first mentioned the song (Blender, if I'm not mistaken), Mercy and Fast Cars were both lopped off the album for length issues at Larry's urging (bastard!). If either one wasn't finished to begin with that decision doesn't make a whole lot of sense. "Hey guys, I know we're not even done with Mercy yet, but we should take it off the tracklisting because the album's too long". It would be putting the cart before the horse. You decide which completed songs are going on the album, and THEN you pare it down if necessary.

Also by saying that Mercy is a demo, or that it's on the same level as Smile or Beautiful Ghost, you're implying that they went ahead and finished Fast Cars anyway, while leaving Mercy alone? That doesn't make any sense. Because Fast Cars is definitely a "completed" song, especially considering we have Xanax and Wine, which is the demo version.

My guess is that Fast Cars was released (somewhat) with HTDAAB because thematically it's of a piece with the album (and not just because it has the title in the lyrics), while Mercy seems to be coming from a different place, possibly a bridge to the next album or phase of the band's output. What's interesting is that it fades out, separating Mercy from every song on The Bomb, all of which come to a clear stop (something that negatively affects City of Blinding Light and Miracle Drug).

Also, if you look at the time chart on the special collector's book of HTDAAB, you'll see that Mercy was the last song recorded and/or written. That goes a long way in supporting my theory that it's more than a demo that wasn't close to making the album.

It's too bad no one was able to ask the band if there was a settled track order before the two songs were dropped, or if the sequencing wasn't determined yet at that point.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: because the band didn't release Mercy, people WANT to believe that there's something wrong with it or that it wasn't finished, despite having nothing substantial to back up this notion. They are judging the song from the sound quality of an unofficial bootleg that has been passed around, likely not even mastered with the final cut of the album. To my ears, the recording is very well fleshed out lyrically and in terms of instrumentation, and while it is a long track that takes its time to build up, it does not sound like a jam session with improved lyrics that goes nowhere. There is a distinct climax and ending to the song that is a logical and satisfying conclusion to what proceeds it.

But hey, just my opinion.

 

[Screwtape2]

Larry and his veto!

Lazarus, I believe U2 decides what to put on the album near the end and then works on those songs. In the case of Mercy, I think the song is close to being finished but then Larry ruined it for some of us. So I think the two songs were dropped at different times because Fast Cars is so far along. I'm pretty sure they knew which songs were album worthy before the the two songs were dropped.

On a side note, I'd rather have length issues than a song like One Step Closer.
Also, Adam needs a Veto Override. I trust Adam more than Larry.

 

[doctorwho]

"I HEAR YOU TAAAAALLLLLKKKK
FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLL NOTHING!!!"

is pretty great, if you ask me.

Don't get me wrong, I think "Mercy" is a good song, and I reiterate that HTDAAB would have been a better album had it remained.

However, that line you quoted is nothing compared to the "I'm wide awake - I'm not sleeping" refrain. Also, IMO, the music isn't quite as compelling. "Bad" has Edge's echo at it's best. The notes are simple, yet haunting and Bono's screams are quite chilling.

"Mercy" is more of a standard "love" song, the type U2 have done many times before, and better. So I restate that I just don't think "Mercy" will have the impact "Bad" has had in concert. If it is released on the next album and if U2 perform it, I'm sure it'll play very well on the next tour. But to say it will have the concert impact for the next 20 years (and, I highly doubt U2 will perform for that long), is very unlikely.

No, "Mercy" is no bad.

But honestly, this debate is moot. Unless the song is officially released, it doesn't have have a chance of becoming a "Bad".

 

[doctorwho]

Larry and his veto!


On a side note, I'd rather have length issues than a song like One Step Closer.
Also, Adam needs a Veto Override. I trust Adam more than Larry.

While I don't know about Adam vs. Larry, as much as I enjoy HTDAAB, I will say that the album EASILY would have been far superior, IMO, had it kept both "Fast Cars" and "Mercy" and dumped "One Step Closer". I don't think that's a good song at all. It's an interesting thought, but it failed miserably in execution. I almost always skip over that track. Heck, as simple as the song is, was it ever played in concert? I just don't think it flows with the album as much as Bono hoped (with the theme of his father's death). Instead, I think it would have been a perfect b-side to "Sometimes..." as it presents another view to Bono's father's death.

So if Larry is the one making these decisions on track-listing, then this time I disagree.

 

[Peterrrrr]

"Bad" had that wonderful climatic, power-house refrain. "Mercy" lacks that - so to be honest, I don't see "Mercy" being some classic for years to come. After all, there are reasons U2 chose not to release the song, and maybe this is one of them.

Well the song was deleted because it was to long, also Bono said that it was his favorite.

 

[doctorwho]

Well the song was deleted because it was to long, also Bono said that it was his favorite.

And yet, for such a "favorite" song, it wasn't released as a b-side. And who really deletes a song because of length? Clearly something else was going on.

As much as I think it flows with the album, my guess U2 did not. Or maybe they felt it was too much like their old sound (there's truth there). It's one thing to "sample" their former selves, as they did well on ATYCLB and HTDAAB, it's another to dive right into that era. "Mercy" sounds like something that would fit on UF! And maybe that also was a reason for it's omission.

Eh, all I hope is that it does officially see the light of day.

 

[ozeeko]

"Mercy", finished track or not, wasn't released and was never played live, therefore I don't see how you could possibly compare it to "Bad". I don't see how you could possibly compare it to any song that has been released and played live, even "Yahweh" which I despise.

To me, "Mercy" sounds like a work-in-progress. The only remotely interesting thing about it is Bono's ridiculous metaphors during the verses. And by interesting I mean interesting, not exactly good. The verses are entertaining based solely on Bono's lyrics, but the rest of the song is utter garbage. The chorus is pure throwaway, something that sounds rushed and not the ultimate cathartic effect that a "Bad" contender would have to be. For one thing, the song "Bad" is finding something spiritual within a dark subject, mainly heroin addiction. With "Mercy" it's mostly about Bono coming to grips with Love, or the pursuit of love, something that to me isn't as interesting as the subject in the aforementioned song. And the payoff, the release, isn't as fucked up as "Bad'.

"Bad" takes you on a journey that builds and builds and adds layers and never lets up its relentless energy until the very end of the song. Wiith "Mercy", the verse sounds pretty good, like it's leading you somewhere, but then the bridge and chorus are just kind of forced upon you, and you have to accept it. There's no natural jam progression like in "Bad"; instead, just a crafted pop song structure under the guise of an anthem striving to be important. But what's the importance? Nothing's jumping out at me to respond to this track. It's like most U2 songs lately, where I feel they have captured the "idea" of U2, but not an actual unique U2 moment.

Nevertheless, this song is head and shoulders above most of the trash on HTDAAB. Would I like this album more if it featured "Mercy"? Maybe slightly. That is, if my copy featured "Fast Cars", the best song off the album. If they scratched a couple trax to my liking (Yahweh, one step closer) they might've actually had an album I could tolerate, rather than loathe.

 

[U2girl]

Actually, in that Blender article Bono was the one that said "too much of a good thing is bad" and he thought the album was too long. All we have from Larry's point of view is "I have a theory..." before they talked about the album tracklisting. The article never really said what Larry's reasons for voting on a 11 song album were.
Considering the "best B-side you ever heard" comment and that Mercy never did become a B-side, I think it will come on the next album.

It doesn't go along with the album, lyrically or musically, just like Fast cars.