The band was formed in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 2012 under the name Operation Guillotine.They were originally a metalcore band, consisting of five members, with Kyle Anthony performing unclean vocals. Their line-up soon changed to vocalist/guitarist Lynn Gunn (born Lyndsey Gunnulfsen), guitarist Alex Babinski, bassist Brian Macdonald, and drummer Brad Griffin. Griffin would leave the band prior to the release of the band's first album, 2014's White Noise. The trio of Gunn, Babinski, and MacDonald would release one more album, All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell, in 2017, and an EP, Hallucinations, in 2019. Prior to the release of 2020's Use Me, Babinski was removed from the band. The band's current lineup is Gunnulfsen, with Macdonald and drummer Danny Agosto playing with her live.
NO MERCY
PVRIS Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's blood stains on your face
Watch everybody live and pray
Invade in her life
I got everybody sleepwalking but they
They think they're awake
And our hands always covered in shame, but
It won't wash away
There's blood in the water but it tastes so sweet
Show me no mercy
And let it rain, and let it rain
Show me no mercy
And let it rain (you're going to make it harder)
Show me no mercy
And let it rain, and let it rain
Show me no mercy
And let it rain, (you're going to make it harder for me now)
(Ooh ooh ooh oh oh)
This place is going up in flames and
We watch and we wait
And I think I kinda like the way it
It burns in my face
There's blood in the water but it tastes so sweet (tastes so sweet)
The sky is on fire, let it rain on me
Show me no mercy
And let it rain, and let it rain
Show me no mercy
And let it rain (you're going to make it harder)
Show me no mercy
And let it rain, and let it rain
Show me no mercy
And let it rain (you're going to make it harder for me now)
There's blood in the water
There's blood in the water
Blood in the water but it tastes so sweet
There's blood in the water
There's blood in the water
Blood in the water but it tastes so sweet
I got everybody sleepwalking but they
They think they are awake
And our hands are always covered in shame
It won't wash away
In flames
Show me no mercy
And let it rain, and let it rain
Show me no mercy
And let it rain (you're going to make it harder)
Show me no mercy
And let it rain, and let it rain
Show me no mercy
And let it rain (you're going to make it harder)
Show me no mercy (this place is going up in flames)
(And let it rain, and let it rain) (and we watch and we wait)
Show me no mercy (and our hands are always covered in shame)
And let it rain (you're going to make it harder for me now)
The lyrics of "No Mercy" by PVRIS depict a world that has been completely destroyed, with blood stains and flames everywhere. The song seems to be narrated by someone who is either indifferent or even revels in the destruction - they "kinda like the way it burns in (their) face." The lyric "I got everybody sleepwalking but they think they're awake" suggests that the singer is exerting some kind of power or control over others, perhaps to keep them complacent and oblivious to the destruction around them.
The phrase "blood in the water but it tastes so sweet" is repeated several times throughout the song. This is likely a metaphor for the pleasure some people derive from chaos and violence - they are drawn to it like sharks to blood in the water. The repeated plea to "show me no mercy" could be interpreted in a few different ways - perhaps the singer is asking for no mercy in their own punishment for causing the destruction, or they are inviting others to join them in reveling in the destruction with no restraint or remorse.
Line by Line Meaning
We've made such a mess of this place
We have created chaos and disorder in this location
There's blood stains on your face
You have physical evidence of the violence that has occurred in this environment
Watch everybody live and pray
Observe the local individuals attempt to survive in this hostile surroundings
Invade in her life
Intrude on someone's existence in an unwelcome or disruptive way
I got everybody sleepwalking but they, They think they're awake
I have entranced and manipulated the people here into a state of unawareness and complacency
And our hands always covered in shame, but It won't wash away
We are responsible for the chaos and pain in this location, and the guilt will linger even if we attempt to wash it away
There's blood in the water but it tastes so sweet
Even though this location is dangerous and violent, some individuals still find pleasure in it
Show me no mercy
Do not have mercy or compassion towards me
And let it rain, and let it rain
Allow the negative consequences to occur without interference
You're going to make it harder
You will increase the difficulty of the present situation
This place is going up in flames and, We watch and we wait, And I think I kinda like the way it, It burns in my face
We are witnessing the destruction of this location, and some individuals enjoy the spectacle and chaos of it all
The sky is on fire, let it rain on me
The environment is in a state of chaos and destruction, and I will not attempt to avoid or prevent it
There's blood in the water but it tastes so sweet (tastes so sweet)
Even though this location is dangerous and violent, some individuals still find pleasure in it
There's blood in the water
There is evidence of violence and chaos
Blood in the water but it tastes so sweet
Even though this location is dangerous and violent, some individuals still find pleasure in it
Show me no mercy (this place is going up in flames), (And let it rain, and let it rain) (and we watch and we wait), Show me no mercy (and our hands are always covered in shame), And let it rain (you're going to make it harder for me now)
I acknowledge the destruction and violence of this environment, and I do not expect or desire mercy or compassion from others
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Blake Preston Harnage, Lyndsey Gerd Gunnulfsen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dvnie777
We've made such a mess of this place,
There's blood stains on your face.
Watch everybody kneel and pray,
In vein, in her name.
God, everybody's sleep walking
But they think they're awake.
Our hands always covered in shame
But it won't wash away.
There's blood in the water but it tastes so sweet.
Show me no mercy
And let it rain, let it rain.
Show me no mercy
And let it rain.
If you're gonna make it hurt show me no mercy.
This place is going up in flames and we watch and we wait.
And I think I kind of like the way it burns in my face.
There's blood in the water but it tastes so sweet.
The sky is on fire, let it rain on me.
Show me no mercy
And let it rain, let it rain.
Show me no mercy
And let it rain.
If you're gonna make it hurt show me no mercy.
There's blood in the water.
There's blood in the water.
There's blood in the water but it tastes so sweet.
There's blood in the water.
There's blood in the water.
There's blood in the water but it tastes so sweet.
@lisalegato0109
Lynn Gunn- lyrics, vocals, production, programming, piano, rhythm guitar, drums, percussion, organ, synth programming
Alex Babinski- lead guitar
Brian MacDonald- bass
Chris Kamrada- drums, percussion
Blake Harnage- synth, production, programming, engineering
Mikaela Davis- harp
Chris Athens- mastering
Spike Stent- mixing
Anthony Reeder- engineering, editing
Jef Moll- drum engineering
Jarrod Fallon, John Colangelo- drum techs
@nicoledb4741
lynn screaming at me is my life
@spockrates7980
When I heard this song for the first time, I sighed. Not because it's bad. Not because it's derivative. I sighed because I know I'm going to be playing this on loop to such an unhealthy extent they'll have to bury me with headphones on.
@BenGMormonTacos
Of the current 291k views, I may be 1k of them. Lol
@Buggiboi13
SAME Omg, this song just makes me want to back float in a pool, hell probably an ocean.
@vallopoisongirl
[sighs] same
@ellabel_
@@BenGMormonTacos No fr though.
@DCxViper
this song is a mix of "Fire" and "Let them in" it sounds really cool
@roshanfey
their best album hands down. miss this era more than anything
@CrazyPanda688
White noise for me
This one slaps but I’m a sucker for the pop rock they had before this era
@kawaiikojo
This whole album is so beautiful. I'm crying real Jesus tears rn