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.
Mercy Valley
Oh Mercy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When all is said and done,
I don't want you around.
Preaching all your voodoo man,
That'll only get me down.
So turn me into dust,
Or put me in the ground.
No, I don't want him around.
Take me out to sea,
Throw me overboard,
Let the birds pick my brains,
Let my bones wash to shore.
Let me rest in peace,
With no miracles, no tricks.
Like Larry had to face,
I know that ain't my fate.
Take me where the breeze reigns true.
Lay me down stone wide and there,
Save your prayers and save yourself.
We're on our own.
Soak me in your alcohol,
And put me on display.
Let the children point at me,
And scream and run away.
Take me out to sea,
Throw me overboard,
Let the birds pick my brains,
Let my bones wash to shore.
Let me rest in peace,
With no miracles, no tricks.
Like Larry had to face,
I know that ain't my fate.
Take me where the breeze reigns true.
Lay me down stone wide and there,
Save your prayers and save yourself.
We're on our own.
"Mercy Valley" by Oh Mercy is a song about rejecting the idea of a religious or holy life after death. The lyrics suggest that the singer would prefer to be left alone after they die, and that they do not want to be part of any spiritual traditions or practices. The singer also seems to have a disdain for those who try to impose religious beliefs on them, as evidenced by the line "Preaching all your voodoo man, That'll only get me down."
The song is written in a poetic and metaphorical style. The singer uses imagery of being thrown out to sea and having their bones picked clean by birds to represent the idea of being left to nature after death. The line "Like Larry had to face" is a reference to the novel "Larry's Party" by Carol Shields, in which the main character Larry reflects on death and the different ways people approach it. The final lines of the song seem to convey a feeling of both resignation and defiance: "Save your prayers and save yourself. We're on our own."
Overall, "Mercy Valley" is a song that expresses a desire for autonomy and independence in death, and a rejection of the idea that one needs a religious framework to feel at peace with the inevitability of mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
When all is said and done,
After everything is over,
I don't want you around.
I don't want you near me,
Preaching all your voodoo man,
Talking about all your religious or superstitious beliefs,
That'll only get me down.
That will only make me sad or depressed,
So turn me into dust,
Make me into fine particles,
Or put me in the ground.
Or bury me in the earth,
I don't need no holy man.
I don't need any religious figure or leader,
No, I don't want him around.
No, I don't want him near me,
Take me out to sea,
Bring me to the ocean,
Throw me overboard,
Throw my body into the water,
Let the birds pick my brains,
Let the birds eat my brain,
Let my bones wash to shore.
Let my bones wash up on the beach,
Let me rest in peace,
Let me find peace and rest,
With no miracles, no tricks.
Without any supernatural events or deceptions,
Like Larry had to face,
Like Larry had to deal with,
I know that ain't my fate.
I know that's not what will happen to me,
Take me where the breeze reigns true.
Take me to a place where the wind is constant,
Lay me down stone wide and there,
Lay me on a wide stone where I am,
Save your prayers and save yourself.
Don't bother praying for me, save yourself,
We're on our own.
We are alone with no one to help us,
Soak me in your alcohol,
Put me in your liquor or alcoholic beverage,
And put me on display.
And exhibit my body for others to see,
Let the children point at me,
Let the children direct and stare at me,
And scream and run away.
And scream and run away in fear,
Contributed by Layla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
SAMFS09
Anyone have chords for this?