Franz Nicolay is a multi-instrumentalist and man about town. He is a membe… Read Full Bio ↴Franz Nicolay is a multi-instrumentalist and man about town. He is a member of the The World/Inferno Friendship Society, The Hold Steady, Guignol, and the Anti-Social Music collective. His piano, accordion, mandolin, banjo, saw, and harmonica playing can also be found in recordings of Leftover Crack, The Sharp Things, The Suckers, Mischief Brew, Demander, The Ratchets, and The Debutante Hour. He is active in the realms of performance, recording/production, and composition of original instrumental music.

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Have Mercy
Franz Nicolay Lyrics

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I was the shadow of a waxwing slain
I was the moonlight on a moving train
I was the center of a circle of light
I was my father's heart on a youthful night

I was a broken bat wing strewn
On a broken street, in a sunken moon
I was the sound of a hunting tune

I am the sound of a hunter's tune

I was the red king in moonlit flight
I was the danger in a drunken night
I was a ragged dog spoiling for a fight
I saw the death ship sailing when I was five

It's the Devil I love, and the Devil must die
Have mercy
I was a leveler, you were a thief
Cry mercy
I was transparent, your motives were murky
Cry mercy
Mercy

Left an Econoline carcass in a desert grave
Front right wheel splayed like a gull's wing on a tidal wave
It's who you leave behind, it's not who you save

That you'll be judged by
That you are judged by

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Franz Nicolay's song, Have Mercy, are full of vivid and poetic descriptions of a person's various forms and identities, as well as their experiences of danger, violence, and mortality. The repeated phrase "have mercy" adds a sense of urgency and desperation to the song, and implies some kind of plea or prayer for forgiveness or compassion.

The opening lines of the song describe the singer as "the shadow of a waxwing slain," which suggests a sense of fragility, vulnerability, and fleetingness. Likewise, the image of moonlight on a moving train creates a sense of motion and transience, while the reference to a circle of light could suggest a sense of centering or grounding. The next line, "I was my father's heart on a youthful night," implies a sense of familial connection and memory, as well as a sense of innocence and possibility.

The next stanza shifts to a darker and more ambiguous tone, with images of brokenness, hunting, danger, and death. The line "I was the red king in moonlit flight" could suggest a sense of power and daring, but also hints at some kind of reckoning or downfall. The repeated use of the phrase "I was" creates a sense of past tense and retrospection, but also suggests a sense of nostalgia or wistfulness. The final lines of the song shift back to a more existential tone, with a reminder that judgment and legacy are determined not by what one saves or achieves, but by what and who is left behind.

Line by Line Meaning

I was the shadow of a waxwing slain
I was the faint remnant of a colorful bird that was struck down

I was the moonlight on a moving train
I was a fleeting glimpse of illumination on a train in motion

I was the center of a circle of light
I was the focal point of a radiant halo

I was my father's heart on a youthful night
I was the embodiment of my father's passion during his youthful days

I was a broken bat wing strewn On a broken street, in a sunken moon
I was a discarded object, a bat wing, abandoned on a damaged and dimly lit street

I was the sound of a hunting tune I am the sound of a hunter's tune
I was both the melody of the music used for hunting, and the music itself

I was the red king in moonlit flight
I was a regal figure in crimson, soaring through the moon's luminous glow

I was the danger in a drunken night
I was the unpredictable hazard present during a night of heavy drinking

I was a ragged dog spoiling for a fight
I was an unkempt dog, itching for a physical confrontation

I saw the death ship sailing when I was five
I witnessed the vessel of death embark when I was a mere five years old

It's the Devil I love, and the Devil must die Have mercy
Despite my affection for evil, I beseech for clemency

I was a leveler, you were a thief Cry mercy
I championed equality, while you stole from others. I plead for pardon

I was transparent, your motives were murky Cry mercy
I was candid and open, while your intentions were dubious. I implore for forgiveness

Mercy
Compassion, forgiveness, and leniency requested

Left an Econoline carcass in a desert grave Front right wheel splayed like a gull's wing on a tidal wave
A van's remains, a Ford Econoline, was interred in the arid expanse, with the front right wheel akin to the wing of a bird in the midst of a powerful ocean surge

It's who you leave behind, it's not who you save That you'll be judged by That you are judged by
It's not who you rescue, but rather who you abandon that will determine how you are evaluated

Contributed by Miles Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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