Bonnie grew up in Houston, where her parents introduced her to soul music at an early age and found that their little girl was a natural performer, dressing up in costumes at family events and hamming it up to Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin songs. She was gifted at musical theater and was formally trained in opera until college, but Bonnie decided she wanted to be a writer, so she began penning her first songs while earning a degree in Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin. In a town legendary for churning out blues players and folkies alike, it is no surprise that, upon graduation, she followed in the footsteps of her musical predecessors and put a band together, booking herself all along the well-known club circuit in Texas and playing everything from rock rooms to dance halls for just about anyone who would listen. Around Texas, Bonnie always stood out at regional festivals and clubs because she was one of very few female artists who was able to make a mark in the male-dominated scene. It didn’t take long before she was sharing bills with artists such as Jack Ingram and Radney Foster and frequenting top venues in the state including Billy Bob’s Texas, Antones, and the Mucky Duck. In 2004, her first full length album “Long Way Home,” was released statewide and saw great success with two singles that stayed on the Texas Music Chart’s Top 30 for over six months. Two years later, she logged over 30,000 miles visiting radio stations statewide to personally promote her second studio album "Soft to the Touch", (Smith Music Group) which was produced by Walt Wilkins and featured guests appearances by guitar rocker David Grissom. The title track was a regional hit, a song which Bonnie co-wrote with Ray Wylie Hubbard, and the record received great reviews from Texas magazines and publications as well as a quote by Robert K. Oerman who said, “(Bishop) is an angel with dusty wings…make this Texan a star NOW!” This helped to open doors outside of Texas, and soon Bonnie began touring in the Southeast and Midwest areas. A year later in 2006, she recorded and released the impromptu “Bonnie Bishop and Friends Live at Magnolia Avenue” during an acoustic show in Fort Worth. The double disc became a hit among Texas fans because it showcased the raw power of the singer’s vocals, particularly on her rendition of the classic Cindy Walker tune “You Don’t Know Me”. It was during this time that she caught the attention of legendary singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen. The two sparked up a close friendship and Bonnie began touring with Keen and his band as an acoustic opener in 2007, which introduced her to a whole new (and much larger!) audience in theaters and rock rooms far beyond Texas on the East Coast.
Amidst a heavy touring schedule, Bonnie taught herself to play guitar and piano over the course of a year, and began making frequent trips to Nashville to collaborate with some of the top songwriters in the industry. On a whim in late 2007, she loaded up her two dogs, two cats, and one reluctant fiancé and relocated among East Nashville's swanky landscape of writers and musicians, where she signed a writing deal with Montage Music Group and began a new chapter of her life as a full-time songwriter. Though she continued to tour acoustically, she spent the better part of 2008 writing and recording her fourth album, titled “Virginia” with well-respected indie guitar player and songwriter Will Kimbrough. Where other producers failed to find a harmonious blend between the singer's Joplin-esque vocals and her sensitive writing style, Kimbrough nailed it by artfully surrounding her raspy voice with soulful rhythms and his own masterfully played guitar parts. The result is a cohesive collection of rock and blues influenced original songs that truly highlight what Bonnie does best.
Though still unreleased, “Virginia” has gained industry’s interest in their new resident, not only for her artistry but also for her songwriting. Recently she has added to her list of co-writers Mike Reid (“I Can’t Make You Love Me”, “My Strongest Weakness”), Walt Aldridge (“Holding Her and Lovin’ You”, “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde”), and Big Al Anderson (of NRBQ fame) as well as landed herself a spot at this year’s Key West Songwriter’s Festival in May. Bonnie is gearing up for a national tour later this year to promote the new album, but says she is glad for this time that allows her to be a “stay-at-home songwriter” as she recently became a newlywed. While she hopes this record will find a home in radio and that it will give her the opportunity for national success, she feels that whatever happens, she has the responsibility to continue to make music that is uniquely her own. “God blesses us all with unique talents and personalities, so as an artist, I try to make music that is a reflection of that individuality. In the current world of mainstream music, being “unique” or “different” usually means being doomed to obscurity…but that’s something I plan on changing.”
Mercy
Bonnie Bishop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Show a little mercy
Please a little baby
Just a little bit
I never never thought I would live to see the day
When I'd be running after a man this way
Baby you don't know the effect you have on me
You've got my mind all twisted up and I can't will free
Have a little mercy on my baby
Show a little mercy
Please little baby
Just a little bit
Whenever you are out of my sight all I do is pace the floor
My nerves are never settled til you walk through the door
Late at night when I lay in bed I just toss and turn
And if you don't lighten up on me my life will be ruined
Have a little mercy on my baby
Show a little mercy
Please little baby
Just a little bit
Now you've got me fallen on my knees and eating out of your hand
I'm right here to fulfill your desire and every command
What more could you ask for when you got a fool like me?
I'm getting what I deserve cause I'm where I wanna be
Have a little mercy on my baby
Show a little mercy
Please little baby
Just a little bit
Have a little mercy on my baby
Show a little mercy
Please little baby
Just a little bit
I have a little mercy on my baby
Show a little mercy mercy
Uuuuu...
Just a little bit
Have a little mercy on my baby
Show a little mercy
Just a little bit
Little mercy mercy
Have a little mercy on my baby
Show a little mercy
Just a little bit
Mercy on my baby
Just a little bit
Show a little Mercy
Nercy
Mmm... Mmmm...
In Bonnie Bishop’s song “Mercy,” the singer pleads for her lover to have some compassion for her as their relationship is causing significant distress. The first stanza entreats her lover to “have a little mercy” and “show a little mercy” to her baby, who could likely be interpreted as herself. The second stanza describes the singer’s inability to function when she is not with her lover. She paces and cannot settle down until he returns. In the last stanza, the singer finds herself at the mercy of her lover, fallen on her knees and eating out of his hand. She recognizes that she has become a fool for him but also realizes that she is right where she wants to be.
The song begs the question of just how far someone is willing to go for the person they love. The lyrics convey the intensity that comes with romantic passion yet also the frailty that comes with it as well. The singer recognizes that they’re becoming a slave to their lover, but at the same time, relishes the power they hold over her. Bishop’s songwriting effectively captures the intensity of this struggle for control in love, while at the same time embracing the vulnerability of giving oneself over completely to another.
Line by Line Meaning
Have a little mercy on my baby
Please be kind to my loved one
Show a little mercy
Demonstrate compassion
Please a little baby
Grant a small favor to my significant other
Just a little bit
Only a small amount is needed
I never never thought I would live to see the day
I didn't expect to find myself in this situation
When I'd be running after a man this way
Pursuing someone with such intensity was not part of my plan
Baby you don't know the effect you have on me
You are unaware of how much you impact my emotions
You've got my mind all twisted up and I can't will free
Your actions have caused me great mental distress and I cannot escape
Whenever you are out of my sight all I do is pace the floor
I become restless when I can't see you
My nerves are never settled til you walk through the door
I can't relax until you are with me
Late at night when I lay in bed I just toss and turn
I struggle to sleep or find comfort without you
And if you don't lighten up on me my life will be ruined
If you don't ease the pressure you put me under, my life will fall apart
Now you've got me fallen on my knees and eating out of your hand
You have complete control over my actions and decisions
I'm right here to fulfill your desire and every command
I exist solely to satisfy your wishes and do whatever you ask
What more could you ask for when you got a fool like me?
You have everything you could want in someone who is blindly devoted to you
I'm getting what I deserve cause I'm where I wanna be
I accept any consequences of my actions because I am willingly in this situation
Nercy
Mispronunciation of the word 'mercy'
Mmm... Mmmm...
Vocalization
Contributed by Kaylee M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.