Story Behind The Song

Anne Sexton, who was institutionalized, wrote poems as a form of therapy, not for an audience. Anne attempted suicide five times and was successful on the fifth attempt.

Song Description

Depicts the deep thoughts and feeling of a troubled woman who is remembering her past, about her relationship with her father, who may be deceased? She also thinks about what she sees out her window, and what "man" has made the world into. How she found s

Lyrics

Looking down on empty streets all she can see are the dreams all made solid, the dreams made real
All of the buildings and all of the cars were once just a dream in somebody's head
She pictures the broken glass, pictures the steam
She picture the 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 the pale green and gray
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,
Looking for 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 a tremble in the hips, of kissing Mary's lips

Dreaming of Mercy Street
Wear your inside out,
Looking for Mercy in your daddy's arms again,
Dreaming of Mercy Street, swear they moved that sign
Dreaming of Mercy in your daddy's arms

Mercy, mercy, mercy, mercy
Looking for mercy, looking for mercy
Mercy, mercy, mercy, mercy,
Looking for mercy, looking for mercy,
Anne with her father is out in the boat, riding the water, riding the waves of the sea