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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 that "it isn't until you're a few listens in that you understand how devastating the whole thing is."
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suggested that
Gabriel stay the night at the recording studio and attempt a new vocal take the following morning before his voice perked up. This proved to be successful, and Gabriel attained a satisfactory vocal take within an hour.
308:, who recorded a series of percussion tracks around the forró. Originally, the drum rhythm was used in an early incarnation of the song, titled "Don't Break This Rhythm" (later released as a B-side to "
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melody and strapped on lyrics based on Anne Sexton's work. During one of the recording sessions, the
Brazilian rhythm was accidentally played back ten percent slower, giving it a grainy quality.
304:, Gabriel had qualified for the Gold Pan Am Travel Anywhere Card, which enabled him to travel for free to Brazil. During his time there, Gabriel met with a percussionist named
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his vocals by recording one of his parts an octave below the main vocal. However, Gabriel struggled to record the lower vocal part, so audio engineer
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commended
Gabriel's use of Sexton's material to create "something haunting and beautiful from an idea so dark and lonely."
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Both contemporary and retrospective reviewers noted
Gabriel's use of Sexton's poetry in the lyrics to "Mercy Street".
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drum rhythm, which
Gabriel recorded in Brazil. Due to the miles accumulated while on tour with
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and a poem titled "45 Mercy Street". Gabriel had acquired a collection of Sexton's work titled
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516:"Anne Sexton, Peter Gabriel, and the Dark Lure of 'Mercy Street'"
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847:"Fever Ray Covers Peter Gabriel's "Mercy Street" on New Single"
821:"Album: Peter Gabriel, New Blood (Realworld) - Reviews - Music"
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This article is about the song. For the television series, see
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at a bookshop in New York City. During the verses, Gabriel
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highlighted some of the instrumentation, including the
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have also released a version of the song on the album
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was created for "Mercy Street", which was directed by
560:: Peter Gabriel Records Ltd. Event occurs at 40:20.
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238:" is a song written by the English rock musician
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630:"Peter Gabriel: From Brideshead to Sunken Heads"
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490:included an interpretation of "Mercy Street" on
610:: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
514:Stephens, Christopher John (19 February 2018).
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688:. United Kingdom: SonicBond. p. 51.
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430:"Mercy Street" was released (remixed by
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442:was released on Gabriel's live album's
224:"This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)"
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1641:Still Growing Up: Live & Unwrapped
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686:Peter Gabriel: Every Album, Every Song
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1659:Xplora1: Peter Gabriel's Secret World
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657:Hutchinson, John (20 December 1986).
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1484:We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)
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901:"The New Standard - Herbie Hancock"
759:from the original on 15 August 2014
726:from the original on 14 August 2014
438:" and a live version from the 1993
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714:"Peter Gabriel Sings of Lost Egos"
543:Gabriel, Peter (22 October 2012).
426:Release details and cover versions
14:
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673:– via The Genesis Archive.
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780:"10 Most Depressing Songs Ever"
643:– via rocksbackpages.com.
434:) on Gabriel's 1992 CD-single "
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745:Holmes, Tim (14 August 1986).
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628:Hutchinson, John (July 1986).
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1113:Back to Front: Live in London
778:Elan, Priya (25 April 2012).
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296:The song is based around the
872:Rogers, Jude (2 June 2010).
819:Andy Gill (7 October 2011).
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242:from his fifth studio album
7:
282:To Bedlam and Part Way Back
272:works of the American poet
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1312:Burn You Up, Burn You Down
806:"Peter Gabriel SW Live EP"
276:, who wrote a play titled
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1769:Peter Gabriel discography
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808:. 1994. 7243 8 92582 2 6.
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558:Eagle Rock Entertainment
264:Background and recording
21:Mercy Street (TV series)
1292:The Barry Williams Show
1159:Games Without Frontiers
684:Scarfe, Graeme (2021).
646:(subscription required)
550:(Television production)
221:"We Do What We're Told"
203:
1741:And I'll Scratch Yours
1456:The Rhythm of the Heat
1278:While the Earth Sleeps
474:And I'll Scratch Yours
1092:Plays Live Highlights
659:"My Brilliant Career"
404:– processed saxophone
16:Song by Peter Gabriel
1720:Millennium Dome Show
1428:Here Comes the Flood
1361:Four Kinds of Horses
1788:Peter Gabriel songs
1673:Myst IV: Revelation
1285:When You're Falling
1250:Digging in the Dirt
929:Anne Sexton's poems
606:cite AV media notes
1752:Real World Studios
1747:Real World Records
1605:Back to Front Tour
1583:Flotsam and Jetsam
719:The New York Times
596:. United Kingdom:
592:(CD liner notes).
556:. United Kingdom;
546:Classic Albums: So
331:The New York Times
320:Critical reception
192:"That Voice Again"
1775:
1774:
1757:Solid State Logic
1706:Passion – Sources
1627:Secret World Live
1600:Secret World Tour
1410:Live and Let Live
1099:Secret World Live
933:Poetry Foundation
695:978-1-78952-138-2
445:Secret World Live
440:Secret World Tour
232:
231:
1810:
1727:Play: The Videos
1713:The Story of OVO
1634:Growing Up: Live
1470:That Voice Again
1347:Playing for Time
1243:Shaking the Tree
1194:I Have the Touch
1187:Shock the Monkey
1180:I Don't Remember
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853:. 16 August 2010
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153:track listing
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140:Peter Gabriel
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136:Daniel Lanois
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1610:i/o The Tour
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1547:Compilations
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1498:Secret World
1477:Mercy Street
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1396:This Is Home
1215:In Your Eyes
1208:Sledgehammer
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908:. Retrieved
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878:The Guardian
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829:. Retrieved
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710:Pareles, Jon
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667:. Retrieved
665:. p. 22
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456:
452:
443:
429:
357:
356:
349:
343:
329:
323:
310:Sledgehammer
295:
290:Kevin Killen
281:
278:Mercy Street
277:
270:confessional
267:
256:and shot in
254:Matt Mahurin
243:
236:Mercy Street
235:
233:
206:In Your Eyes
196:
195:
180:Sledgehammer
165:
164:
147:
60:October 1986
48:
25:
1690:Discography
1651:Video games
1508:Soundtracks
1463:San Jacinto
1368:Road to Joy
1145:Modern Love
1077:Live albums
571:October 26,
402:Mark Rivera
396:Richard Tee
390:Larry Klein
326:Jon Pareles
274:Anne Sexton
250:music video
128:Producer(s)
1803:1986 songs
1782:Categories
1435:On the Air
1382:Olive Tree
1333:Panopticom
1306:Growing Up
1201:Wallflower
1106:Live Blood
1085:Plays Live
598:Real World
566:B0085J1EBM
520:PopMatters
498:References
453:SW Live EP
410:– vocals,
351:PopMatters
248:(1986). A
1562:Revisited
1403:And Still
1340:The Court
1060:New Blood
851:Pitchfork
465:Fever Ray
458:New Blood
418:, piano,
367:Personnel
78:worldbeat
1576:Rated PG
1442:Intruder
1319:Darkness
1236:Red Rain
1229:Big Time
1024:Security
905:AllMusic
880:. London
857:8 August
831:16 April
827:. London
786:. London
757:Archived
724:Archived
634:Musician
486:Pianist
385:triangle
336:triangle
216:Big Time
197:Side two
173:Red Rain
166:Side one
161:9 tracks
57:Released
1695:Genesis
1523:Passion
1375:So Much
1130:Singles
1000:Scratch
910:10 July
884:8 April
790:8 April
763:28 July
730:10 July
669:10 July
525:10 July
416:Prophet
398:– piano
73:Art pop
1152:D.I.Y.
692:
663:Sounds
564:
381:congas
302:Pan Am
108:Geffen
86:Length
1759:(SSL)
1700:WOMAD
1683:Other
1619:Films
1516:Birdy
1420:Songs
1257:Steam
639:7 May
469:Elbow
449:'
420:CS-80
377:surdo
298:forró
103:Label
66:Genre
1173:Biko
1012:Melt
912:2024
886:2016
859:2019
833:2012
792:2016
765:2014
747:"So"
732:2024
690:ISBN
671:2024
641:2023
612:link
573:2019
562:ASIN
527:2024
314:folk
37:Song
1666:Eve
1569:Hit
1530:OVO
1354:I/O
1067:I/O
988:Car
931:at
784:NME
412:CMI
359:NME
328:of
39:by
1784::
1046:Up
1039:Us
1032:So
903:.
876:.
849:.
823:.
782:.
755:.
749:.
722:.
716:.
661:.
632:.
620:^
608:}}
604:{{
590:So
581:^
552:.
535:^
518:.
506:^
483:.
461:.
414:,
383:,
379:,
375:–
260:.
245:So
149:So
95:22
50:So
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954:t
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93::
91:6
23:.
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