[Spoiler] has been played live

[popacrobat]

I actually really like the Because because because part - fees like it gives it more of an oomph. jarring, but in a good way to me.

 

[BVS]

It's actually growing on me.

Although I still want the "ripping the stitches" part on the second chorus.

 

[Rob33]

At least the Munich version was more solid than Zurich II

I just don't understand why U2 had to simplify and dumb down the song into this structured, obvious, radio-style bullshit of verse chorus verse chorus solo/bridge chorus...some say the original seemed all over the place...I couldn't disagree more. And really, the new version of Mercy is nothing like the original...sure, the basic parts of the song are still there and anyone who heard the original would know that this new version is in fact Mercy, but they removed all the subtlety out of the original. Removing lyrics like "we're binary code, a one and a zero, you wanted violins, and you got nero" didn't do the new version any good, but listen to the melody line when he sings those lyrics in the original...it's a subtle variation and gives the verse/intro some character...it's absolute gold, yet non-existent in the new version. There's so many other little things that made the original so great that the new version lacks. I still think it sounds great, and if we never heard the original, I'm sure I'd be even more excited about it. I'm just frustrated with their judgment, I guess. And how do you completely remove the "ripping the stitches..." prechorus and honestly think it sounds better?!?! I hope they realize some of this before it goes on record. Ok, my rant is over.

 

[asr]

I prefer the original chorus, Bono's delivery of it was one of my favorite parts of any U2 song.now it is gone! I really loved the ending.. (love is justice a charity............) and now that is gone too. Also, I really like:
You love me... too much
You always loved me... too much
When I was ripping the stitches
Without two cents to rub
I'm in the ditches
Of someone else's luck..
It is like they took everything I liked about the song and changed it, creating a version meant to be a single. Really disappointed with the direction we are taking with it. I just hope that they somehow make available a higher quality version of the demo (properly encoded at least...the one we have is really compressed)....then I couldn't care less about how the final version sounds.

Words right out of my mouth!!

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Love the new version, LMAO at Bono's "i am not playing the guitar, it tripped me up last time".

 

[mrnathan15]

I'm loving the live version and the fact that they're simply playing it, it's still an amazing song of course even after its few changes. However as so many before me have pointed out, it doesn't seem as special as the original..that version was just so epic and more exciting I guess, especially with that ripping the stiches little verse.

The original chorus seems to come with more of an bang with the first line. Bono utilises less words and sustains them i guess and it's more emotional, but opinions are of course of great variance.

It's just good to know that they're playing it..let's hear it in the great country of Australia!

 

[Rob33]

The original chorus seems to come with more of an bang with the first line. Bono utilises less words and sustains them i guess and it's more emotional, but opinions are of course of great variance.

Yeah, I agree...I love the new chorus...it might even be an improvement lyrically, but it's a little too wordy.

 

[mama cass]

This song, based solely on the guitar part, is a surging stadium anthem, which is what U2 is great at, but I feel like replacing "Love hears when I lie" with "You wanna kill me and I wanna Die" is a big misstep

I get what Bono is saying. He doesn't mean it literally. I get it. They're a fighting couple at the start, and he mentions they are perfect for each other. its actually a clever lyric, but not for this song. It takes what should be a loud jubilant sing along moment like the "oh oh oh oh" at the end of Pride or any other innumerable moments in their lyrics and replaces them with something that seems a bit more dark add foreboding for such an exuberant song.

re. the "dark and foreboding for such an exuberant song" - i find that quite interesting actually... makes you sort of do a double-take, bit like James' "Hey Ma!" song which is so exuberant and upbeat you can't help but start singing along before catching yourself and thinking "fuuuuuck! i can't sing along to that!"

although i don't find the "you wanna kill me..." lyric dark as such, perhaps slightly tinged with humour in fact, interpreting it as the character being really super hopping mad at him about something and he likes that - but that's just me being twisted LOL

mind you i guess that lyric can take on darker tones looking at it in different ways, perhaps from the perspective of "wanting to end something" and, by "i wanna die", he may or may not be happy about that... who knows lol!

 

[Galeongirl]

Wow the Munich version is so much better than the debut! Lyrically speaking it makes much more sense. Bono's right, he shouldn't play guitar on it, didn't really add much..
I still miss the Ripping the stitches part, but this version's not bad. I couldn't listen to the Zurich version much after the initial excitement wore down. It was boring me somehow. Now the new one I can get behind!

 

[jonnytakeawalk]

Ugh awful stuff. Completely ruined!

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Ugh awful stuff. Completely ruined!

Very insightful.

 

[Swan269]

Love the new version, LMAO at Bono's "i am not playing the guitar, it tripped me up last time".

bono playing guitar=flubbing lyric

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

^

 

[gvox]

Munich sounds better. Still hate the 'drinking wine' verse, love the 'whats the use of religion' one however, and wish that the "you wanna kill me and I wanna die" was sung in some other part of the song other than the chorus...but overall the tune is catchy and it's growing on me..they need to refine that ending though and Edge's solo (or the sounds he's using) will likely get a bit richer, I'm thinking

 

[pepokiss]

without the FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL part and Edge's solo, this song has no option

 

[gareth brown]

At the risk of having someone jump down my throat for having what seems to be the "wrong" opinion in this thread, I have to say I really don't like it. I know this is a cardinal sin here but, in this instance, I'm going to say U2 are just like Coldplay Their song "Talk" [leaked before X&Y's release] had a great structure and lyrics before Coldplay released a repetetive mess of a song with truly pisspoor, rambling lyrics.

Like someone said, we still have the original version to listen to and I will be doing just that, I loved it when I first heard it. With Mercy there's always a danger of elitism and people claiming you love it so much simply because its unreleased and you want to be different, but that song really was special to me. It eclipsed more than HALF of the Atomic Bomb album in terms of both music and lyrics and I'll always have fond memories of listening to it in the summer of 2005.

I can appreciate that a lot of people find the new version to be an improvement, and that's cool, no-one's wrong when it comes to music, but some replies to those who DON'T like it in this thread are a bit out of line. I personally feel the new chorus, especially the lyrics are terrible. The words don't fit as well and it's like they're trying to make the song more radio friendly with the shorter running time, cheesy guitar solo and ESPECIALLY its rather lame "BECAUSE...BECAUSE...BECAUSE" part! They took a great, driving track with its restrained verses and big chorus and just turned it into "U2 Does Big Stadium Choruses By Numbers".
----

In short, I'm very disappointed in it, but it's not up to any of us how any of U2's new songs turn out. It's just a different story when a COMPLETED version of the song has been freely available on the internet for over 5 years now and people are obviously going to be attached to it. And I say completed because it was, and was taken off the album at the last minute. I can sense already that the original is going to be looked at down the nose of some people here as "the demo version".

 

[U2girl]

Why the wrong opinion ? It looks like the majority does not like this new Mercy.

 

[corianderstem]

I like it, but I don't really have a feeling one way or the other as to whether it's an "improvement."

I just like it.

So it's got that going for me.

 

[U2girl]

I like both versions - but will not fully decide until/if we hear this 2010 Mercy in a proper studio version.

 

[corianderstem]

Ditto.

 

[cathalmc]

Gotta love the never-ever-feckin-happy attitude from some U2 fans. This criticism for changing the lyrics on an unreleased song is hilarious. Not only do we want them to play Mercy, we want them to play it the *correct* way, you know, the way that wasn't ever actually released.

I remember last year some people criticised U2 for not playing Bad the *correct* way. I'd rather they played it the wrong way than didn't play it.

If you like the old version of Mercy then you still have it to listen to and enjoy and to lull you off to a world full of untainted, unreleased U2 classics free from the meddling hand of Bono.

I think I've only heard the old version twice so I'm not too stuck on it. But I really, really like the new live version in concert.

 

[corianderstem]

The Meddling Hand of Bono.

I need to work that into my sig, or my user details.

 

[Salome]

Gotta love the never-ever-feckin-happy attitude from some U2 fans. This criticism for changing the lyrics on an unreleased song is hilarious. Not only do we want them to play Mercy, we want them to play it the *correct* way, you know, the way that wasn't ever actually released.

I remember last year some people criticised U2 for not playing Bad the *correct* way. I'd rather they played it the wrong way than didn't play it.

it's the *irony* of this forum
moaning forever that U2 is too stuck in their ways, don't mix it up enough, yada yada
but when the band do change anything, be it the solo after Mysterious Ways after almost 20 years, some elements of an unreleased song, etc etc then we shit our panties

sure this band has lapses in judgement, it's one of their more endearing elements
the nonsense over here when we don't get what we want is ridiculous though

 

[trojanchick99]

The Meddling Hand of Bono.

I need to work that into my sig, or my user details.

I your sig.

As for topic. I enjoy both versions. Do I miss "You wanted violins but got Nero", yes. However I love the Edge solo at the end and am really interested to hear the studio version.

 

[nirniva]

Common sense? In a Mercy thread? Who are you people, and what have you done with the REAL Blue Crackheads?

 

[corianderstem]

The Meddling Hand of Bono sent them away.

 

[secretly alone]

I love the new version. I really love the "because" chorus It's been playing over and over in my head for days. I mean the other version is great, but I think I like this one better ohmy

@Cori- Your sig

 

[nirniva]

The Meddling Hand of Bono sent them away.

I should have known the Hand would bring us to ruin!

 

[corianderstem]

I always assumed it was the Giant Disembodied Floating Head of Bono that would cause such destruction.

 

[nirniva]

I always assumed it was the Giant Disembodied Floating Head of Bono that would cause such destruction.

That is the creepiest goddamn thing I have ever seen.