Love and Mercy

"Love and Mercy" is a song by American musician Brian Wilson and the opening track from his 1988 album Brian Wilson. Co-produced by Russ Titelman, the song was released as a single on July 1, 1988, backed with "He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move". Psychologist Eugene Landy and his girlfriend Alexandera Morgan were formerly listed as co-writers.

For the Brian Wilson biopic, see Love & Mercy (film). For the album by Kathy Troccoli, see Love and Mercy (album).
"Love and Mercy"
Single by Brian Wilson
from the album Brian Wilson
B-side"He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move"
ReleasedJuly 1, 1988 (1988-07-01)
RecordedApril 1987 – February 1988
GenreProgressive pop
Length2:56
LabelSire
Songwriter(s)Brian Wilson
Producer(s)
Brian Wilson singles chronology
"Let's Go to Heaven in My Car"
(1988)		 "Love and Mercy"
(1988)		 "Melt Away"
(1988)
Music video
"Love and Mercy" on YouTube
Audio sample
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Wilson described "Love and Mercy" as influenced by the 1965 song "What the World Needs Now Is Love" and characterized his lyrics as "a personal message from me to people". Cover versions have been recorded by acts including Randy Stonehill and Wilco, as well as the Libera choir. The title was lifted for the 2014 biopic of Wilson's life.

Background

The song was originally credited to Brian Wilson, his therapist Eugene Landy, and Landy's girlfriend Alexandra Morgan. On later issues of Brian's debut album, and subsequent remakes and live performances of the song, the credit was amended to attribute Wilson as the song's sole writer. Wilson is quoted in the liner notes of his 1988 album:

I was in my piano room, playing "What the World Needs Now," and I just went into my own song...worked very hard to get out what was in my heart on that one...it's a personal message from me to people.... We wanted people to be covered with love, because there's no guarantee of somebody waking up in the morning with any love. It goes away, like a bad dream. It disappears. Mercy would be a deeper word than love. I would think love is a gentle thing and mercy would be more desperate, ultimately more desperately needed, thing in life. Mercy–a little break here and there for somebody who's having trouble.... "Love and Mercy" is probably the most spiritual song I've ever written.[1]

The song features Wilson on lead vocals as well as a lot of the backing vocals, and is characterized by its pattern of descending chords.[2] The lyrics included an extra verse unused in the final edit: "I was praying to a god who just doesn't seem to hear / Oh, the blessings we need the most are what we all fear".

Reception

When discussing the 2004 Madrid train bombings in the book Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas, Bono states: "'Love and Mercy' is one of the great songs ever written ... I can't think of a greater song to be sung than Brian Wilson singing 'Love and Mercy'. Because, in a way, they're the two feelings that those terrorists sought to destroy."[3]

Cover versions
  • The song was used for a final scene in the film Orange County (2002), where the main character realizes the importance of his hometown and the impact it will have on his future.
  • The song was played over the end of the Broadway show Other Desert Cities (2011), referring to a book in the show with the same title as a song written by one of the characters.
  • Love and Mercy (2014) is a biopic film based on Wilson's life.
  • Gazelle Twin's cover of the song appears in The Walking Dead season 5 episode, "Conquer" (2015).[4]

References
  1. Leaf, David. "Brian Wilson 2000 liner notes". Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  2. Carlin, Peter Amex (2006). Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson. ISBN 9781594867491.
  3. Assayas, Michka (2006). Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas. Riverhead Books. p. 216. ISBN 978-1-59448-173-4.
  4. Ives, Brian (March 30, 2015). "The Music of Walking Dead Season 5: Brian Wilson's 'Love and Mercy'". radio.com.
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