You always love me too much

Many fans consider "Mercy" the best U2 song on "How to Dismantle.."

But mercilessly, it got cut last minute.

Man, between this song and the other classic that was relegated to a hidden track on the Japanese release("Fast Cars," previously recorded as "Xanax and Wine"), what wild and wonderful prayers.

Yeah, you read that right.

Of course Bono himself in interviews and in song lyrics (in yet another dropped song, "Always", ) invites us to "turn each song into a prayer." Yet this can be done too cheaply and cheesily.
But here it works creatively and counterintuitively..

How so? Experiment.
Test drive it as prayer in progress, and in process.

All prayer is.

The lyric may feel orthodox in an unorthodox way. Or the other way around.

All prayers may be such.

Some lines will be more obvious than others..
but especially the more obtuse and unobvious ones work well, and ring/wring true.

A few clues from the lexicon:

- it has been suggested that the rarely resorted to "Baby" (or "Sugar") often translates to "God" (as in "Ultraviolet") in U2ese. Of course, it doesn't take detective work to realize "Love" reads "God."...

-As often in 'real' prayer, the lines move and morph from the praying one speaking to God speaking... at interesting times.

-capitalize the pronouns if it helps: "We're binary code, a One and a zero/You wanted violins, and You got Nero."

Besides, don't you wonder if anyone has never wailed "what's the use of religion" or complained to/thanked God that "You love me too much" has ever really prayed?

Enjoy. Here's a "devotional" of sorts on the song, if you like...but see how it works and speaks to/speaks for/speaks through you.

"Mercy"

I was drinking some wine and it turned to blood
What's the use of religion if you're any good
I know I'm weed killer, honey, and you're sugar
If you're the prosecution I get away with murder
If you were ice, I'm water


And with your telescope I can see further
We're binary code, a one and a zero
You wanted violins and you got Nero
You're gravity searching for the ground
You're silence searching for a sound
Your heart is aching, your heart is my home
It's fascinating, I know Ill never be alone

I'm ripping the stitches
We've got two hands to rub
I'm digging the ditches
Of someone else's love

Love heals when I lie
Love puts the blue back in my eye
Love will come again
I'll be gone again
Again

If you hunger, baby let me feed it
If your heart is full, baby let me bleed it
And happiness is for those who don't really need it
You love me too much
You always love me too much

When I was ripping the stitches
We've got two hands to rub
I'm digging the ditches
Of someone else's luck

Love heals when I lie
Love puts the blue back in my eye
Love has come again
I am gone again

Love has got to be with the weak
Only then love gets a chance to speak
Love will come again
I'll be gone again
Again

I, I can't escape myself
I'll hear you talk
Fear nothing
I fear nothing
Fear
How can someone fear nothing
How can someone fear nothing

Love is come again
I am gone again
Love is the end of history
The enemy of misery

Love is come again
I am gone again
Love is justice, not charity
Love brings with it a clarity
Love is come again
I'm alive again
Alive
I am alive
Baby, I'm born again
And again and again and again
And again and again
Again