Mercy
The Clumsy Lovers Lyrics
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All the children met
In day cares and nightclubs
Discussed finger paints and body rubs
They embraced it all
It hasn't happened yet
Alcohol will take the edge off that
Ease the pain if not the fall
You gotta take off your hat, force a bow
Wipe that sweat right off your brow
Look her in the eye and try for mercy
And so the story grows
I got kind of wired and
I drove the snakes from Ireland
And then I broke for lunch
If you want a small nose
Give honesty a try
But if you gotta lie
You may as well lie a bunch
Hello, how are you? I like you plenty well
If you get bored here, there's always the hotel
We can order in, and turn off the ringer
And you can have your pick, the song or the singer
The song "Mercy" by The Clumsy Lovers is a tale about the fleeting nature of life and youth. In the first verse, the children, who were introduced to each other in daycares and nightclubs, are embracing all that life has to offer. Despite their enthusiasm, the lyrics imply that they will soon fall flat, and find solace in alcohol for pain rather than actually dealing with their issues. The next verse tells a story about journeys and finding oneself with lyrics like "I got kind of wired and / I drove the snakes from Ireland / And then I broke for lunch." The tale then shifts to a more straightforward message advising listeners to be truthful and honest, and if you can't be truthful, then you might as well lie wholeheartedly. The final lyrics of the song offer a romantic interlude, with the offer of a pick between the song and the singer.
The lyrics in "Mercy" touch upon several different themes, such as innocence, youth, the fleeting nature of life, the consequences of alcohol, self-discovery, honesty, and love. The song appears to encourage us to live our lives currently and make bold choices while we have the chance. The lyrics' darker side hints at the importance of taking personal control of one's existence, rather than relying on or being lost in drink and drugs, and tells us to make our choices with intent.
Line by Line Meaning
All the children met
All the young people gathered
In day cares and nightclubs
At playgroup and parties
Discussed finger paints and body rubs
Talked about small pleasures and physical sensations
They embraced it all
They eagerly accepted everything they could
It hasn't happened yet
The consequences haven't emerged
But pretty soon they will fall flat
But soon enough, they'll fail or be defeated
Alcohol will take the edge off that
Drinking will dull the pain of failure
Ease the pain if not the fall
It'll relieve some discomfort, if not the failure itself
You gotta take off your hat, force a bow
You have to be humble and put on a show
Wipe that sweat right off your brow
Wipe away the sweat and anxiety
Look her in the eye and try for mercy
Make eye contact and beg for forgiveness
And so the story grows
The tale becomes more elaborate
I got kind of wired and
I became enthusiastic and energized
I drove the snakes from Ireland
I accomplished a remarkable feat
And then I broke for lunch
And then I paused for a meal
If you want a small nose
If you want to be humble
Give honesty a try
Be truthful
But if you gotta lie
But if you have to lie
You may as well lie a bunch
You might as well tell a lot of lies
Hello, how are you? I like you plenty well
Hi, how are you? I like you a lot
If you get bored here, there's always the hotel
If you're bored, we can always leave
We can order in, and turn off the ringer
We can get takeout and ignore our phones
And you can have your pick, the song or the singer
You can choose which to focus on, the music or the musician
Contributed by Kayla G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
2minstral
Vancouver BC band The Clumsy Lovers are pure Canadiana fun as the song “Mercy” will attest…”You gotta take off your hat, force a bow, wipe that sweat right off your brow, look her in the eye and try for mercy… 8) You can find most of their music on Bandcamp and if you love an awesome live show, you wont be disappointed either.