The official Mercy Street video.

Inspired by the work of poet Anne Sexton, Mercy Street features on the first of Peter’s studio albums to have a proper title: So was a watershed release in his career. Its marriage of the artistic and the commercial made for an indisputable success, with the album quickly sitting atop the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Aside from some intriguing collaborations – with Laurie Anderson on This Is The Picture, Kate Bush on Don’t Give Up and Youssou N’Dour on In Your Eyes – it was the unity of singer, band and producer that made So such a crucial record in the Gabriel canon.

petergabriel.com/

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

#MusicVideo