In Livingston in 1937, Hall met John Avery Lomax, an ethnomusicologist who recorded American folk music. Lomax recorded Hall singing numerous songs that were put into the United States Library of Congress for preservation. Lomax's son, Alan, also championed Vera Hall – bringing her to New York for a performance at Columbia University in 1948 and assembling Rainbow Sign, a book based on Hall's life and stories.
Hall's record, "Another Man Done Gone," was played on the BBC in 1943 as a highlight to American folk music. Also, "Another Man Gone" was played by Congress to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.
She is famous for being sampled by Moby on his hit single, "Natural Blues", the sample was taken from the song "Trouble so Hard".
A historical marker in her honor was dedicated on 21 April 2007 in Livingston
Death Have Mercy
Vera Hall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh, death, have mercy
Ooh, death, just spare me over another year
If I was a flower in my b?????
Make death coming down so soon
Ooh, death, have mercy
Ooh, death, just spare me over another year
Was is this that I can't see
Cold as ice hands all over me
Stress my eyes and stretch my limps
This is the way that death begins
Ooh, death, have mercy
Ooh, death, be easy
Ooh, death, just spare me over another year
Ooh, death, have mercy
Aah, death, be easy
Ooh, death, just spare me over another year
"Death Have Mercy" is a traditional American folk song that speaks to the inevitability of death but also pleads with death for mercy and a little more time. The lyrics are poignant and touching, as the singer acknowledges their mortality and wishes to stave off death for just one more year. The repetition of "ooh death, have mercy" creates a sense of urgency and desperation, emphasizing the singer's desire to keep living.
The verse about being a flower in the bud highlights the fragility of life and how death can come unexpectedly and take us before we've blossomed fully. The singer seems to be asking for more time to grow and experience life's joys and challenges. The next verse portrays death as a cold, icy presence that grips the singer's body and begins the dying process. The lines "stress my eyes and stretch my limbs / this is the way that death begins" show how death slowly consumes the body and prepares it for departure.
In the final verses, the singer pleads with death once again to have mercy and spare them for another year. The repetition of "ooh death, have mercy / aah death, be easy" creates a haunting refrain that sticks with the listener long after the song is over. Overall, "Death Have Mercy" is a powerful song that captures the human experience of grappling with our own mortality and the primal urge to cling to life for just a little bit longer.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, death, have mercy
The singer is calling out to death, asking for mercy.
Ooh, death, just spare me over another year
The singer is pleading with death to let her live for at least one more year.
If I was a flower in my b?????
The singer is cut off, but is possibly saying that if she were a flower in her bloom or prime, death would still come for her too soon.
Make death coming down so soon
The singer is expressing that death seems to come too quickly and unexpectedly, like a sudden drop or descent.
Was is this that I can't see
The singer is questioning what is happening to her that she can't understand or comprehend.
Cold as ice hands all over me
The singer is describing a feeling of coldness and numbness throughout her body, as if the hands of death are already reaching for her.
Stress my eyes and stretch my limps
The singer is feeling the strain and tension of the coming of death, with her eyes and limbs agitated and distressed.
This is the way that death begins
The singer is recognizing that the symptoms and sensations she is experiencing are the beginning of the end, the start of the process of death.
Aah, death, be easy
The singer is pleading with death again, asking for it to be gentle and not painful.
Contributed by Eliana T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@SLYGUY79
#AlteredCarbon (2018– ) 3 episodes in and I'm loving it awesome Sci-Fi
@daanlos4371
Brandon Sly yeah i got here from that great Netflix serie
@1210mac10
yoou know this Maaaaaaaaaaaaan
@Screamingz1
Same
@trancetheearth
same 2, it leaves an impression
@asdrubalgomes8782
Same 3
@JohnSmith-jb8rb
I've listened to this song countless times before Altered Carbon, but the music director and team really did an amazing job with all of season 1. This song fit the scene really really well.
@anon_ninja
Altered carbon anyone??? This song is stuck in my head. Damn.
@3deeart
Same reason I am here... :D
@tastymintz1454
Same same