Bassist, composer, arranger and p… Read Full Bio ↴Real Name: Richard Lee Cowan Evans
Bassist, composer, arranger and producer.
Evans is best known as producer and arranger for Cadet Records during the 1960s and early 1970s, working with artists like Ramsey Lewis, Marlena Shaw and Dorothy Ashby. In the same period he also formed The Soulful Strings with whom he recorded several albums.
In the 1970s and 1980s he worked as bassist and arranger with artists such as Natalie Cole, Peabo Bryson and Ahmad Jamal. Currently he serves as a music professor in Boston.
Performed in groups:
Richard Evans Orchestra, The Soulful Strings
Mercy Mercy Me
Richard Evans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah, things ain't what they used to be.
No, no, where did all the blue skies go,
Poison is the wind that blows
From the north and south and east
Woo mercy, mercy me
Ah things ain't what they used to be, no, no
Our seas fish full of mercury, ah. oh
Ah things ain't what they used to be
What about this over crowded land
How much more abuse from man can she stand?
Oh mercy, mercy me.
Ah things ain't what they used to be.
No, no, no, radiation underground and in the sky;
Animals and birds who live near by are dying oh,
Oh mercy, mercy me.
Ah things ain't what they used to be.
No, no, no, radiation underground and in the sky;
Animals and land how much more abuse from man can she stand?
In the song, "Mercy Mercy Me," Richard Evans bemoans the state of the environment, which he feels has been damaged beyond repair. The lyrics express concern about the disappearance of blue skies and the presence of poison in the wind blowing from the north, south, and east. Evans laments the environmental destruction of the ocean due to oil waste and the excessive presence of mercury in the fish. Moreover, the song raises the issue of overpopulation and the unsustainability of the earth's resources. In the final verses, the song talks about the danger of radiation in the ground, the sky, and concludes with a poignant question: "How much more abuse from man can she stand?"
Line by Line Meaning
Woo ah mercy, mercy me
Expressing concern and lamentation about the state of the world
Ah, things ain't what they used to be.
Noting the fundamental and negative changes in the state of the world from the past
No, no, where did all the blue skies go,
Noticing the absence of clear and uncluttered skies
Poison is the wind that blows
Recognizing the toxicity of the air we breathe
From the north and south and east
Suggesting the ubiquity and widespread threat of pollutants and hazards
Woo mercy, mercy me
Returning to the theme of lamentation and the need for salvation
Oil wasted on the ocean and upon
Regretting the environmental impact of oil spills
Our seas fish full of mercury, ah. oh
Pointing out the dangers of contamination and the health risks posed
What about this over crowded land
Highlighting the issue of overpopulation and its effects
How much more abuse from man can she stand?
Questioning the extent of human prosperity as it relates to the wellbeing of the planet
No, no, no, radiation underground and in the sky;
Expressing alarm at the insidious effects of radiation on the planet
Animals and birds who live near by are dying oh,
Observing the harm done to innocent creatures, who are equally impacted by human behavior
Oh mercy, mercy me.
Reasserting the need for mercy and compassion
Ah things ain't what they used to be.
Reinforcing the central thematic message of the song
Animals and land how much more abuse from man can she stand?
Reflecting on the fragility and limitations of earth, and the moral responsibility we have towards its preservation
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Marvin Gaye
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind