Mother of Mercy
Iron Maiden Lyrics

Sitting, waiting in the falling rain
In the midst of a violent war, the soldier sits waiting for his next move.

Getting ready to begin again
Preparing for the next fight while acknowledging the brutal cycle of war.

Wounded, lying, crying bodies moving, dying
Amidst a battlefield where there is chaos, the wounded are crying and dying.

All around there is the smell of death and fire
The atmosphere around the battlefield is filled with death and the smell of burning fire.

Here the planes are coming
The sounds of airplanes were heard in the air signaling the approach of more soldiers for the war.

Hear the soldiers running
The sound of soldiers' boots can be heard as they marched forward.

Killing on a scale to comprehend
The scale and magnitude of the killings taking place is hard to comprehend.

Why are we here?
The soldier questions the purpose and justification of the ongoing war.

In this place, here to kill
The only purpose of being here in this place is to kill.

Please God, forgive us for what we have done
The soldier seeks divine forgiveness for his participation in the war.

I always thought I was doing right
The soldier believed he was doing the right thing by being part of the war initially.

As of now, I'm not feeling so sure
The soldier has now become doubtful of the war's worthiness.

I'm at a place of where I give no grace
The soldier is at a place where he can no longer forgive the enemy or himself.

I'm a soldier of war
The soldier is a product of the war and his entire identity is now linked with it.

I sit waiting for my darkest hour to come
The soldier is anticipating the worst and most dangerous part of the war.

I cannot think of about the things that I have done
The soldier has committed so many atrocities that he cannot face them anymore.

It shouldn't take a fool to see that I believe
The soldier is aware that his beliefs are foolish and misguided.

Accept the consequence, repent for what I've done
The soldier acknowledges the severity of his actions and seeks forgiveness for them.

You tell me what is certain but I'll tell you what is true
The soldier believes that despite the certainty of the war, the truth is horrific.

You tell me what is honesty when all around is death and cruelty
The soldier is questioning the very meaning of honesty in the midst of such extreme violence.

I'm making out, my mind is vile, I'm giving in to our desires
The constant exposure to violence has led the soldier to embrace his dark impulses.

Within the truth that lies within the only thing
The only truth in war is that there is no morality.

Some say you are a lost cause, some say you're a saint
People have different perspectives about the soldier's actions during the war.

Just being here's and act of suffering and restraint
The soldier acknowledges that simply being present on the battlefield is an act of restraint and suffering.

Walked down a long dark road to ruin and panic not
The soldier has no fear of the consequences and has embraced the path of destruction.

I'll die a lonely death, of that I'm certain of
The soldier anticipates that he will die alone in the war and is at peace with it.

Rivers flow with blood, there's nowhere left to hide
The scenes of the war are incredibly violent, and there is no safe place left for anyone.

It's hard to comprehend there's anyone left alive
The destruction is so widespread that it is difficult to imagine anyone could survive.

Sick of all the killing and the reek of death
The soldier is disgusted and repulsed by the sheer amount of violence and death surrounding him.

Will God tell me what religion is to man?
The soldier is disillusioned by religion and its role in justifying war and violence.

I don't hold with bad religion, understand what's underneath it
The soldier is critical of the use of religion as an excuse for violence.

Now I come to think of it, I just don't hold at all, you know it
The soldier now has little regard for any religion, and does not believe in their ability to justify violence.

You say you are a holy man but what is it you do?
The soldier is questioning the actions and integrity of religious leaders in justifying war.

From where I stand there's nothing but a hollow man I see
The soldier now views all religious leaders as hollow and insincere.

Mother of mercy, angel of death desire
Mother of mercy is a reference to death, with the hope of finding peace after death.

Mother of mercy taking my last breath of fire
The soldier hopes for a release from his suffering through death.

Mother of mercy, angel of pain
The Mother of Mercy is also the harbinger of pain and suffering in death.

Mother of mercy taking my last breath
The soldier anticipates the comfort of death, personified as Mother Mercy.

I'm just a lonely soldier fighting in a bloody hopeless war
The soldier feels isolated and hopeless in the midst of war.

Don't know what I'm fighting, who it is, or what I'm fighting for
The soldier is disillusioned and doesn't understand the cause or the purpose of the war anymore.

Thought it was for money, made my fortune, now I'm not so sure
The soldier initially thought he was fighting for monetary gain but realizes that it is far from it.

Seemed to just have lost my way
The soldier has lost any sense of direction or purpose in his life.