Mercy: The Laundromat
Pavement Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm jonesin' for a mercy snack
I'm regular
I'm treble kicked
I've been down to the laudromat
The lines are long
My lines are strong
I've been down to the south of Maine
I worked a week
I snuck a peek
I've been down to the Bondage Street
Guitar is dumb
Eyes are numb

I saw the terror in your tongue
The cats domain is no longer fun
I waited and I waited and I...waited
And then I went back home
To my apartment
Veiws and all the screws
Were loose inside my guts




And gore was pouring out
I did adore my....

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Mercy: The Laundromat" by Pavement depict the mundane yet disjointed experiences of an individual who jumps from one activity to another, all while feeling unsatisfied and disoriented. The opening line "I'm jonesin' for a mercy snack" highlights the singer's desperation and hunger for something that gives them a moment of peace or relief. They then proceed to describe their state of being in a scattered and almost nonsensical way, repeating the phrase "I've been down" several times to suggest a feeling of being stuck or trapped.


The line "The lines are long, my lines are strong" encapsulates the singer's perspective on their surroundings - they perceive themselves as waiting in line for something they need, yet they see their own inner strength and resilience. The references to specific locations like "the south of Maine" and "Bondage Street" add to the disorienting nature of the song and suggest a feeling of being lost or out of place. The final lines "Views and all the screws were loose inside my guts / And gore was pouring out / I did adore my..." leave the song hanging, suggesting that the singer is unable to even finish their own thoughts or make coherent sense of their experiences.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm jonesin' for a mercy snack
I am craving for something that can bring me comfort


I'm regular
I am ordinary and normal


I'm treble kicked
I am feeling high and excited


I've been down to the laundromat
I have visited the place where clothes are washed


The lines are long
There are many people waiting in line


My lines are strong
I am confident and capable


I've been down to the south of Maine
I have visited the southern part of Maine


I worked a week
I spent a week working


I snuck a peek
I secretly looked at something


I've been down to the Bondage Street
I have been to the place where people engage in bondage


Guitar is dumb
I dislike the sound of the guitar


Eyes are numb
I feel nothing or very little emotionally


I saw the terror in your tongue
I observed the fear in your speech


The cats domain is no longer fun
The place where the cats used to play is no longer enjoyable


I waited and I waited and I...waited
I waited for a long time


And then I went back home
I returned to my place of residence


To my apartment
I went to my living quarters


Views and all the screws
Everything I saw and felt


Were loose inside my guts
I felt uneasy and anxious


And gore was pouring out
I was experiencing intense distress


I did adore my...
I truly loved my...




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Scott Kannberg, Stephen Joseph Malkmus

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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