Mercy Street


"Mercy Street" is a song written by English musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So.

Background

The song was inspired by the personal and confessional works of the American poet Anne Sexton, who wrote a play titled Mercy Street and a poem titled "45 Mercy Street". It features two harmonious Gabriel vocals; one a shadow vocal an octave below the main vocal. Intended to give a sensual, haunting effect, he could only capture this effect upon waking up.
A video was created for "Mercy Street", though the song was not released as a single.

Reception

NME listed the song as one of the "10 Most Depressing Songs Ever", describing it as a "beautifully produced number" featuring Gabriel's "usual sensitivity". They concluded "it isn’t until you’re a few listens in that you understand how devastating the whole thing is."

Personnel

As well as appearing on side two of So, "Mercy Street" was released on Gabriel's 1992 CD-single "Blood of Eden". It was also reinterpreted by Gabriel on his 2011 orchestral album New Blood.
The song was covered by Fever Ray and released in August 2010. Elbow have also released a version of the song on the album And I'll Scratch Yours. The studio album features Peter Gabriel songs from artists he covered on the companion album Scratch My Back.
The song was also covered by Solveig Slettahjell on her 2005 album, Trail of Souls.