Mercy - lyrically weak?

[Mr. V]

i really do like Mercy, and i do think it has the potential to be a classic... but before this happens, it needs to be reworked lyrically in parts.

musically, it's fantastic. but some of the lyrics are just so... dumb, and lame, and so, so obvious, they can't hold a candle to U2's better work; songs that have a degree of ambiguity about them. some parts of Mercy are absolutely brilliant/really, really good (i've bolded them), but some sound like a 12 year old trying to write a poem (italicized).

I was drinking some wine... and it turned to blood
What's the use of religion... if you're any good
I know I'm weedkiller honey... and you're sugar
If you're the prosecution... I get away with murder
If you were ice... I'm water
And with your telescope... I can see further
We're binary code... a one and a zero
You wanted violins... and you got Nero
You're gravity... searching for the ground
You're silence... searching for a sound
Your heart is aching... your heart is my home
It's fascinating... I know I'll never be alone

I'm rippin' the stitches
You got two hands to rub
I'm in the ditches
Of someone else's love

Love is when I lie
Love puts the blue back in my eye
Love will come again
I'll be gone again... again

If you're hunger... baby let me feed it
If your heart is full... baby let me bleed it
And happiness is for... those who don't really need it
You love me... too much
You always loved me... too much

I'm rippin' the stitches
You got two hands to rub
I'm in the ditches
Of someone else's love

Love is when I lie
Love puts the blue back in my eye
Love will come again
I'll be gone again... again

Love's got to be with the weak
Only then love gets a chance to speak
Love will come again
I'll be gone again... again

I... I can't escape myself
I hear you talk
Feeling nothing
I fear nothing
Feel....

I can hear so much
Fear nothing
I feel so much
Fear... nothing

Love has come again
I am gone again
Love is the end of history
The enemy of misery
Love has come again
I am gone again

Love is justice, a charity
Love brings with it a clarity
Love has come again
I'm alive again
Alive...

I am alive, baby I'm born again and again
And again, and again and again and again
Again

as i say, i really do think that Mercy has potential... but some of the lyrics are cringeworthy.

thoughts?

 

[U2girl]

We're binary code... a one and a zero

 

[Mr. V]

oops, i meant to italicize that 'lyric' as well

 

[gman]

Am in the minority here i think, but I do not like the song one little bit. In the top 5 worst U2 songs i ever heard!

 

[sweetie]

I don't really care for the chorus. The lyrics...the music...its lacks the excitement that the verses build up to. I don't know if I'm explaining myself correctly.

 

[gman]

I think the song never really takes off. It just seems to ramble on for ever.

 

[An Cat Gav]

It's pretty good, it's not the second coming or anything like that as some people think, but it's still pretty good, it's a bit like one of The Joshua Tree b sides, which is pretty good. I think the lyrics are betterthan a lot of the 00's stuff to be honest. If it's not on the next album, expect it to be the lead single on a 00-10 greatest hits.

 

[last unicorn]

Do we need another Mercy thread? The song is being discussed to death here. We will be so tired of it once it will be finally released.

I LOVE it and I also love the song's structure, it's built like a sermon. The only thing that's bothering me is its length. And yes, they could re-work some of the lyrics, there are some stronger and some weaker parts in it.

I have to say that I actually like the thing with the binary code and Bono empahasizing the ONE and the ZERO separatly. Seriously, many people I know have no idea what a binary code is or where it comes from ... the one and zero makes sense to me.

 

[An Cat Gav]

I think the song never really takes off. It just seems to ramble on for ever.

Definitely needs a good minute lopped off the end!

 

[Swan269]

I like the alternate switching of love and luck in the "rippin the stitches" part

 

[Mr. V]

Do we need another Mercy thread? The song is being discussed to death here. We will be so tired of it once it will be finally released.

i would have searched for another thread, but... you have to pay to do that. .__.

 

[gman]

Do we need another Mercy thread? .

You just qualified this threads existance by contributing to it ya plum!

 

[An Cat Gav]

Am in the minority here i think, but I do not like the song one little bit. In the top 5 worst U2 songs i ever heard!

Hey Gman!
Nice to see a few posts from you, out of interest, and off topic, but what are the other 4 that would make up your worse 5?

 

[An Cat Gav]

excuse me, your worst 5.

 

[djerdap]

The lyrics are mostly bad. The music is average. I never understood the hype for this song.

 

[Canadiens1131]

I think the song never really takes off. It just seems to ramble on for ever.

 

[jacobus]

its just another lame song the world don't need at all

 

[last unicorn]

So I see you are representing the whole world to know what the world needs and what it doesn't?! Interesting.

Why can't some people let others make up their own mind about something?

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I think the song never really takes off. It just seems to ramble on for ever.

I agree with this, as a B-Side I think it's nice. As a an album track or (god help us) a single, however, I don't think it has enough...direction?... I guess...

Who knows, they might re-work it into something special...

 

[jacobus]

last unicorn: So I see you are representing the whole world to know what the world needs and what it doesn't?! Interesting.

you are right last unicorn...please forgive me. i am not representing the world actually. its only my opinion. i just don't like the song, themusic& the lyrics...its just boring.

 

[macphisto22]

Mercy

The fact that the band never realsed this as a album track or b-sides says that they felt it was not worthy inclusion.

I know it was released as part of the itunes but that was only intended for Fans to download. So true fans can say what they want about it.

I personally think its a brillaint song, one that can be improved (but then so can many u2 songs).

The band have put this out there for us if you dont like it then so what, i dont think this will ever become a single, album track. or b-side. but saying that you never know with remastered editions of ablums nowdays (joshua remastered)

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

oh mercy mercy me

 

[Aardvark747]

oh mercy mercy me

 

[RademR]

i like "mercy" a lot. needs some work lyrically, love the music. clayton has a great bassline, and with edge's guitar, just has this great feel to it for me.

it shouldn't be a single or anything, though.

 

[Bonochick]

I have to say that I actually like the thing with the binary code and Bono empahasizing the ONE and the ZERO separatly. Seriously, many people I know have no idea what a binary code is or where it comes from ... the one and zero makes sense to me.

I like the binary code like as well.

 

[LyricalDrug]

Mercy is a very, very good song and it's no wonder Bono has said it's going to be on the new album. I actually LOVE the first verse (binary code / and it turned to blood etc.) and think it's got some of Bono's best work in a while. The opening couplet is better than any lyric on HTDAAB.

It'll be a great song once it's trimmed down a bit and tightened up.

 

[Salome]

Am in the minority here i think, but I do not like the song one little bit. In the top 5 worst U2 songs i ever heard!

there seems to be a very good reason why it hasn't been released yet, yes

 

[U2girl]

I was drinking some wine... and it turned to blood
What's the use of religion... if you're any good

To be fair, the opening lines are great. I think the songs meanders and overall seems like U2 digging up their Achtung Baby self.

 

[Freefall]

Do we need another Mercy thread? The song is being discussed to death here. We will be so tired of it once it will be finally released.

I LOVE it and I also love the song's structure, it's built like a sermon. The only thing that's bothering me is its length. And yes, they could re-work some of the lyrics, there are some stronger and some weaker parts in it.

I have to say that I actually like the thing with the binary code and Bono empahasizing the ONE and the ZERO separatly. Seriously, many people I know have no idea what a binary code is or where it comes from ... the one and zero makes sense to me.

Definitely! God is the ONE and you, all of us, can definitely feel like zeros! I LOOOOOOVVVVEEE "MERCY"!! It makes me cry, and when a song makes me cry, it is good!

The music is fantastic...the words are just fine...and it made me cry. "I fear nothing...how can someone fear nothing?" He is not afraid of the God he serves...the Unseen and Living One! That is the part that always makes me cry.

 

[Freefall]

i really do like Mercy, and i do think it has the potential to be a classic... but before this happens, it needs to be reworked lyrically in parts.

musically, it's fantastic. but some of the lyrics are just so... dumb, and lame, and so, so obvious, they can't hold a candle to U2's better work; songs that have a degree of ambiguity about them. some parts of Mercy are absolutely brilliant/really, really good (i've bolded them), but some sound like a 12 year old trying to write a poem (italicized).


as i say, i really do think that Mercy has potential... but some of the lyrics are cringeworthy.

thoughts?

Love heals when I lie
Love puts the blue back in my eye
Love will come again
I’ll be gone again
Again

From AtU2.com...Love restores Bono when he lies, when he sins...it restores the blue to his eyes, and he has the eyes of a seer. Love restores his life.