[1] Baltimore band signed to Topshelf Records. They are described as "takin… Read Full Bio ↴[1] Baltimore band signed to Topshelf Records. They are described as "taking cues from peers and predecessors like Makeout Party, The Jealous Sound, The Early November, Seahaven and Northstar alike. Full-length release early 2013.

[2] Thrash Metal band formed in an 1984 (disbanded in 1988) from Baltimore, MD... featured Nothingface and Hellyeah guitarist Tom Maxwell...

How many times have you heard the "…they were a great band, but after their release in 198x they mysteriously disappeared…" story??? If you're into eighties metal, especially thrash, I'd say you heard stories such as this one many times. Well, (unfortunately) the Have Mercy story is also one of them, at least in a way…
Have Mercy was a great thrash metal band, which started and disbanded already in the Eighties. Their music consisted of great thrash riffing, wild guitar soloing and high-pitched vocals (at least most of the time). Yes, you guessed right - this was, indeed, a killer combination. Hence, Have Mercy was often compared to bands such as Agent Steel, but as you probably already know, every band is special in it's own way, and this rule surely applies to Have Mercy more than to any other band.
Fortunately in their quite short time of exsistence Have Mercy managed to release a few demos and even an EP, but on the other hand, it was even a greater shame that they didn't get a chance to release at least one whole album – they disbanded instead...

Lonnie Fletcher- Vocals, Tom Maxwell- Guitar, Dave Brenner- Guitar, Rob Michael-Bass & Vocals, John Grden-drums

Ancient West
Have Mercy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's been weeks sense I've seen a real smile
Oh I know I won't see it for awhile
I've counted inches from your yard to my door
And I want nothing more than to know for sure

It's been weeks since I've had a good thought
I'm telling secrets about the lies that you bought
You used to love to hear me sing

And we would talk about everything
It was beautiful to me

I don't want to be him anymore

Maybe I'll hear your voice in a crowded room
Picture us one day a bride and a groom
He'll walk in and I bet he will too
Does he feel the way I felt about you?

I muttered something quiet under my breath
Then he quickly grabbed his coat and his chest
I don't know how much time is left
So hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best

I don't want to be him anymore

So keep me up and tell me every fear
(I don't want to be him anymore)
When you were young and the days passed like years
Between the booze and the "remember whens"
I'm telling all the same stories again

You pray to him he is a god to you
But does he hold your head and hear your blues?
I won't be the one who makes you choose
And give up everything that you can't lose
Old notions from the ancient west
They hang your head and pray for the best
So hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best

Hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best

Hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best

Overall Meaning

The song "Ancient West" by Have Mercy touches on themes of heartbreak, loss, and the struggle to move on after a relationship has ended. The opening lyrics express a longing for the happiness that the singer shared with their partner, and the difficulty they have in accepting that it's gone. The mention of "counting inches" suggests that distance may be a factor, perhaps indicating a long-distance relationship. The singer speaks of "telling secrets about the lies that you bought," implying that they were betrayed in some way, but also that they may have been complicit in the deception themselves.

The song's protagonist feels lost and unsure of themselves, no longer wanting to be the same person they were when they were with their partner. They hold onto the possibility of a future reunion, imagining their partner's future with someone else, and ultimately accepting that they must let go and move on. The lines "You pray to him he is a god to you/But does he hold your head and hear your blues?" suggest a sense of inadequacy or betrayal, as the singer feels that they could have been the one to provide comfort and support.

Line by Line Meaning

It's been weeks sense I've seen a real smile
It's been quite a long time since I saw a genuine smile on your face

Oh I know I won't see it for awhile
I acknowledge that I won't be able to see that smile for some time now

I've counted inches from your yard to my door
I've calculated the distance between your yard and my doorstep in precise measurements

And I want nothing more than to know for sure
I desire to be completely certain of something, that's my only wish

It's been weeks since I've had a good thought
It's been weeks since I had a positive thing to think about

I'm telling secrets about the lies that you bought
I'm divulging secrets about the falsehoods that you took as truth

You used to love to hear me sing
In the past, you enjoyed listening to me sing

And we would talk about everything
We would converse about anything and everything that was on our minds

It was beautiful to me
It was extremely pleasing and heartfelt to me

I don't want to be him anymore
I no longer wish to be the person I was before

Maybe I'll hear your voice in a crowded room
There's a possibility that I might hear your voice in a room that's filled with people

Picture us one day a bride and a groom
I imagine a future in which we become a married couple

He'll walk in and I bet he will too
I'm sure that he'll also walk into that room

Does he feel the way I felt about you?
I wonder if he experiences the same intense emotions for you that I had

I muttered something quiet under my breath
I said something quietly under my breath

Then he quickly grabbed his coat and his chest
After that, he swiftly picked up his coat and left in a hurry

I don't know how much time is left
I have no idea how much time remains

So hang your head and pray for the best
Therefore, lower your head and hope for the best

So keep me up and tell me every fear
So stay awake with me and reveal every one of your fears

(I don't want to be him anymore)
(I don't want to be that old version of myself anymore)

When you were young and the days passed like years
When you were a child and the time used to drag on like years

Between the booze and the 'remember whens'
During the times of heavy drinking and nostalgic memories

I'm telling all the same stories again
I keep telling the same stories over and over again

You pray to him he is a god to you
You worship him as if he's a deity

But does he hold your head and hear your blues?
But, does he comfort you and listen to you whenever you're melancholic?

I won't be the one who makes you choose
I won't be the person who forces you to make a decision

And give up everything that you can't lose
And let go of everything that you cannot afford to sacrifice

Old notions from the ancient west
Outdated concepts from the western region of the world

They hang your head and pray for the best
They make you hang your head and hope for the best

So hang your head and pray for the best
Therefore, lower your head and hope for the best

Hang your head and pray for the best
Lower your head and hope for the best

Contributed by Alice F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

No Related Genres

More Genres

No Artists Found

More Artists Load All

No Albums Found

More Albums Load All

No Tracks Found

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Most interesting comments from YouTube:

JAIDYN *

7y↑45

It's been weeks since I've seen a real smile
Oh I know I won't see it for awhile
I've counted inches from your yard to my door
And I want nothing more than to know for sure

It's been weeks since I've had a good thought
I'm telling secrets about the lies that you bought
You used to love to hear me sing
And we would talk about everything
It was beautiful to me

I don't want to be him anymore

Maybe I'll hear your voice in a crowded room
Picture us one day a bride and a groom
He'll walk in and I bet he will too
Does he feel the way I felt about you?

I muttered something quiet under my breath
Then he quickly grabbed his coat and his chest
I don't know how much time is left
So hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best

I don't want to be him anymore

So keep me up and tell me every fear
(I don't want to be him anymore)
When you were young and the days passed like years
Between the booze and the "remember whens"
I'm telling all the same stories again

You pray to him he is a god to you
But does he hold your head and hear your blues?
I won't be the one who makes you choose
And give up everything that you can't lose
Old notions from the ancient west
They hang your head and pray for the best
So hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best

Hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best

paulerxx

6y↑5

"Old notions from the ancient west
They hang your head and pray for the best
So hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best

[Outro]
(I don't want to be him anymore)
(I don't want to be him anymore)
Hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best
Hang your head and pray for the best"

When you realize the song is about suicide.

All comments from YouTube:

matt zielinski

2y↑8

I'll never know how this wasn't more of a jam. This was my most played song of 2021. The rest of their stuff is great but this really speaks to me on some level I can't explain.

JAIDYN *

7y↑45

facgce

4y↑7

This band is a gem

Joe

11y↑17

They played this song in a basement in Grand Rapids Michigan the turtle they said it was the first time they ever played it for an audience.....i loved it and I've been waiting for this song for almost 6 months....worth the wait