The official Mercy Street video. Directed by Matt Mahurin. Cinematography by Bill Pope.
Taken from the album So, released in 1986.
MERCY STREET for Anne Sexton
Looking down on empty streets all she can see
Are the dreams all made solid
Are the dreams made real
All of the buildings, all of the cars
Were once just a dream
In somebody’s head
She pictures the broken glass, pictures the steam
She pictures a soul
With no leak at the seam
Let’s take the boat out
Wait until darkness
Let’s take the boat out
Wait until darkness comes
Nowhere in the corridors of pale green and grey
Nowhere in the suburbs
In the cold light of day
There in the midst of it, so alive and alone
Words support like bone
Dreaming of mercy street
Wear your inside out
Dreaming of mercy
In your daddy’s arms again
Dreaming of mercy street
‘Swear they moved that sign
Dreaming of mercy
In your daddy’s arms
Pulling out the papers from drawers that slide smooth
Tugging at the darkness
Word upon word
Confessing all the secret things in the warm velvet box
To the priest – he’s the doctor
He can handle the shocks
Dreaming of the tenderness – the tremble in the hips
Of kissing Mary’s lips
Dreaming of mercy street
Wear your inside out
Dreaming of mercy
In your daddy’s arms again
Dreaming of mercy street
‘Swear they moved that sign
Looking for mercy
In your daddy’s arms again
Mercy, mercy, looking for mercy
Mercy, mercy, looking for mercy
Anne, with her father is out in the boat
Riding the water
Riding the waves
On the sea
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