Says Alex of the first single from the fourth Oh Mercy album - still untitled... “Sandy is a fast song. Faster than the other ones. Or slower. It really just depends on how you count the bars. And which song you compare it to. Faster than a real slow song. Slower than a real fast one. Sandy is a stuck in the middle kind of song. I wrote it in Nashville. I was walking to a Mexican restaurant. It's about self loathing. And self loathing by way of resenting someone who loves you. Just for loving you! (what a world!!!). It's a little about needing it. But wishing you didn’t need it. In the end you're god damn glad you got it.”
Alex Gow recently returned home to Melbourne from the States where he spent time in Nashville, Portland and Los Angeles, disconnected and rootless - a ‘romatic saboteur’ creating his forthcoming album.
Read the album’s travel diary here: http://www.ohmercy.com.au/about/
Gow is one of Australia’s most acclaimed singer/songwriters. Releasing three albums by the time he was 25, he won the ‘Outstanding Potential Award’ at the AMP’s in 2009 and was awarded the EG Music ‘Outstanding Achivement’ Award in 2012. He also has a string of ARIA nominations under his belt for the albums Privileged Woes, Great Barrier Grief and most recent, Deep Heat.
Let me go
Oh Mercy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Breathing on your sister's back
Graze my hands on a promise made
I lick my wounds
I told you you would have your way
Spiders crawling on my face
Bite my lips and I'll bite yours
I can't have you holding my hand, let me go
I'm a single man, don't fuck all my plans
Upside down or back to front
Still alive don't take your time
Fell asleep as you took yours
Now I won't mind
The gloss it melts right off the chest
I read the book didn't make no sense
Don't know, blues still ruining me
Just build a bridge, let me go.
No I can't have you holding my hand, let me go.
I'm a single man, don't fuck all my plans.
Plenty people passing and don't get me down
Should I call you when I'm round when I'm on this side of town
There was a room full of strangers that I can't know
Damn I'm nervous, pretty lady, don't let me go.
No I can't have you holding my hand, let me go
I'm a single man, don't fuck all my plans, let me go
The lyrics of Oh Mercy's "Let Me Go" express a desire for freedom and independence, while also conveying a certain internal conflict. The singer in the song seems to be addressing another person, perhaps a lover or ex-lover, as they assert that they do not want their love and that they need to be let go. The opening lines set a somewhat tense tone, with the singer "breathing on [their] sister's back," suggesting a level of intimacy or closeness that is unwelcome or uncomfortable. The image of "graz[ing] my hands on a promise made" could refer to a broken promise or a promise that has gone unfulfilled; either way, the singer seems to be wounded or disappointed.
Further along in the song, the singer becomes more assertive, repeating the refrain "let me go" and stating that they cannot have the other person holding their hand. The use of the phrase "I'm a single man, don't fuck all my plans" suggests a desire for independence and self-determination, as well as resentment towards any attempts to interfere with those plans. The lines "plenty people passing and don't get me down / should I call you when I'm round when I'm on this side of town" indicate a sense of ambivalence or uncertainty, as the singer is torn between the desire for freedom and the pull of past relationships.
The final lines of the song, with their references to a "room full of strangers" and a "pretty lady," suggest that the singer is still searching for something, perhaps a new connection or a renewed sense of purpose. Ultimately, "Let Me Go" is a song that grapples with the complexities of love and loss, as well as the struggle to carve out one's own path in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Speaking on your behalf
I am advocating for you
Breathing on your sister's back
Being uncomfortably close for too long
Graze my hands on a promise made
Caressing the memories of sweet words spoken by you
I lick my wounds
I am healing from the hurt and pain that you caused me
I told you you would have your way
I promised to give you what you wanted
Spiders crawling on my face
Feeling overwhelmed and trapped
Bite my lips and I'll bite yours
We both have something to say, but we are holding back
I don't want your love, let me go
I am done with this relationship and want to move on
I can't have you holding my hand, let me go
I cannot continue to be attached to you
I'm a single man, don't fuck all my plans
I am not interested in a committed relationship and I still have dreams to pursue
Upside down or back to front
Confused and disoriented
Still alive don't take your time
Despite everything, I still have hope for the future
Fell asleep as you took yours
I am done waiting for you to be there for me
Now I won't mind
I have moved on and it no longer bothers me
The gloss it melts right off the chest
The superficial beauty fades and reveals the true nature underneath
I read the book didn't make no sense
I tried to understand, but it was too confusing
Don't know, blues still ruining me
I am still struggling with sadness and heartache
Just build a bridge, let me go
Create a path for me to move on and let go of the past
Plenty people passing and don't get me down
I am not allowing the opinions of others to affect me
Should I call you when I'm round when I'm on this side of town
I am unsure if I want to keep in touch with you when I am in the same vicinity
There was a room full of strangers that I can't know
Insignificant people who do not matter to me
Damn I'm nervous, pretty lady, don't let me go
Despite moving on, I am still drawn to you and the potential of a new relationship
Contributed by David F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
luisamilarea
This band is great! And this music... <3
Marcus Gomes
my favourite song of all time, im not even exaggerating. played this album hundreds of times, pissed that i missed you guys playing with the rubens tonight.
sorryhelenabeat
What a wonderful song!
Beatriz Carneiro
Beautiful song <3
Fermi Paradox
Spoken word served over sliding guitars and smooth dashes of piano. Most of that means I like it, I believe.