Upon Moloney's departure in 2006 the group was recreated to record "Magnificent Fiend", co-released by Birdman and American Records in 2008. This group included Mike Jackson, Ethan Miller, Ian Gradek, Joel Robinow (guitarist from Drunk Horse) and Garett Goddard and at various times during tour and the recording Eli Eckert (guitarist and singer of Drunk Horse) and Brad Truax.
Howlin Rain are currently dug deep into rehearsals that have spanned the entire year of 2009 and will result in their 3rd album due in 2010 with the third incarnation of the band, including Ethan Miller on guitars and vocals, Joel Robinow on keys, horns, guitar and vocals, Raj Ojha on drums, and Cyrus Comiskey on bass guitar.
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Lord Have Mercy
Howlin Rain Lyrics
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I was alone and the sky went forever
I was the one that killed your father in the first world war
I once vowed to love your sister for a lifetime
Took her to the altar and left her like a wind chime
That was the dawning of the age of the cannibal world
Lord have mercy on my soul, have mercy Lord
I took your wild peacocks down to the sawmill
And ground their bones into dust and blood meal
A rainbow of feathers and shame fell upon my wicked hand
Lucy, my love, get inside my Grand Torino
I tell you little girl don't go into the jungle
There's a million hungry insects there
And man, they're going to eat you alive, yes, they will
Lord have mercy on my soul, have mercy Lord
Mama, have mercy on my soul
Cold dead moon don't stare at me
With your bony judgmental eye
Only the peacocks and earthly things
Can judge me as they pass by
Can judge me as they pass through this world
Judge me as they pass by
Lord, he has my number under the thunder in his hand
The lyrics to Howlin Rain's song Lord Have Mercy paint a picture of a man haunted by his past actions and pleading for mercy from a higher power. The song is told in a stream-of-consciousness style, with the singer jumping from one memory to another, recounting his past misdeeds. He mentions glimpsing a body by the river, possibly alluding to a murder he or someone he knows committed. He also confesses to killing his lover's father in the first world war, and to abandoning his sister at the altar after promising to love her for a lifetime.
The singer's actions have left him feeling guilty and plagued with regret, which is reflected in the recurring chorus in which he begs for mercy from the Lord and his mother's spirit. The singer's internal turmoil is further revealed in the second verse, where he speaks of grinding up wild peacocks at a sawmill and warning his lover not to go into the jungle for fear of being eaten alive by the insects. The line "Only the peacocks and earthly things can judge me as they pass by" suggests that the singer is seeking absolution from the natural world as well.
Overall, the lyrics of Lord Have Mercy are a haunting confession of past sins and a plea for forgiveness.
Line by Line Meaning
I caught a glimpse of your body by the river
I saw you by the river, just briefly.
I was alone and the sky went forever
I was by myself, staring up at the endless sky.
I was the one that killed your father in the first world war
I was the person responsible for your father's death in the first world war.
I once vowed to love your sister for a lifetime
I made a promise to love your sister forever.
Took her to the altar and left her like a wind chime
I married her, but then left her abruptly and without care.
That was the dawning of the age of the cannibal world
That was the start of a time where people would consume one another, figuratively or literally.
Lord have mercy on my soul, have mercy Lord
Mama, have mercy on my soul
I am seeking forgiveness and mercy from the Lord and my mother for my sins.
I took your wild peacocks down to the sawmill
I brought your prized peacocks to the sawmill.
And ground their bones into dust and blood meal
I completely destroyed them, grinding their bones into dust and blood meal.
A rainbow of feathers and shame fell upon my wicked hand
I held the beautiful peacock feathers as well as the guilt and shame for what I had done.
Lucy, my love, get inside my Grand Torino
I am asking my lover Lucy to get into my car, a Grand Torino.
I tell you little girl don't go into the jungle
I warn her not to enter the jungle.
There's a million hungry insects there
And man, they're going to eat you alive, yes, they will
There are many insects that will devour her if she enters the jungle.
Cold dead moon don't stare at me
With your bony judgmental eye
I feel judged by the moon, which seems to look at me disapprovingly.
Only the peacocks and earthly things
Can judge me as they pass by
Can judge me as they pass through this world
Judge me as they pass by
Only the peacocks and other physical objects can judge me, as they are the ones who witness my actions.
Lord, he has my number under the thunder in his hand
I believe that the Lord has control over my fate, and holds my destiny in his hands.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KEVIN TONEY, O'SHEA JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind