Mercy Street
| "Mercy Street" | |
|---|---|
| song by Peter Gabriel from the album So | |
| Released | October 1986 |
| Length | 6:22 |
| Label | Geffen |
| Writer | Peter Gabriel |
| Producer | Daniel Lanois and Peter Gabriel |
| So track listing | |
| |
"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". Gabriel discovered Sexton's writings in a bookstore.[1]
A video was created for "Mercy Street",[2] even though the song was not released as a single.
Personnel
- Djalma Correa – surdo, congas, triangle
- Larry Klein – bass
- Richard Tee – piano
- Mark Rivera – processed saxophone
- Peter Gabriel – vocals, CMI, Prophet, piano, CS-80
Usage in film and television
"Mercy Street" featured in the 1986 episode Killshot of the third series of Miami Vice, in the opening sequence of 1991 Brazilian soap opera O Sorriso do Lagarto (The Lizard's Smile), in the 2006 episode of Cold Case entitled "The River," in 2009 episode of The Grim Adventures entitled "Chocolate Ice Cream and the Watermelon Bubblegum" in 2000, and in the film Life or Something Like It (2002), starring Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns. Also featured in the film Waking the Dead (2000) starring Jennifer Connelly and Billy Crudup. The song was also featured in the "Origami" illusion performed by David Copperfield in his 1987 special "Explosive Encounter".[3]
Release details
As well as making up one of the songs on Side Two of So, "Mercy Street" was released (remixed by William Orbit) on Gabriel's 1992 CD-single "Blood of Eden". It was also reinterpreted by Gabriel on his 2011 orchestral album New Blood.[4]
The song was notably covered by Gaelle, who released it as a single in 2002, and in 2010 Fever Ray also released it as a single.[5][6]
References
- ↑ White, Timothy (September 1986). "Gabriel". Spin 2 (6): 63. ISSN 0886-3032.
- ↑ https://ccrma.stanford.edu/courses/32n/mercy.st.vernallis.doc
- ↑ Origami (magic trick)
- ↑ Andy Gill (2011-10-07). "Album: Peter Gabriel, New Blood (Realworld) - Reviews - Music". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
- ↑ Kitty Empire (2010-09-12). "Fever Ray; Zola Jesus | Live review | Music | The Observer". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
- ↑ "Mercy Street". Fever Ray. Retrieved 2012-04-16.