Lyrics
Verse 1 (Ryan Ellis)
O Son of David, have mercy on me
My soul is broken, and my eyes can't see
Can You hear me callin', callin' out Your name?
O Son of David, have mercy on me
Have mercy on me
O Son of David, have mercy on me
The winds are comin', and I can hardly breathe
My heart is heavy, I can't get no sleep
O Son of David, have mercy on me
Chorus (Ryan Ellis)
O Lord, have mercy (Oh-oh)
O Lord, have mercy (Oh-oh)
Have mercy on me (Oh-oh-oh)
Have mercy on me (Oh-oh-oh)
O Lord, have mercy (Oh-oh)
O Lord, have mercy (Oh-oh)
Have mercy on me (Oh-oh-oh)
Have mercy on me (Oh-oh-oh)
Verse 2 (Brandon Lake)
O Son of David, have mercy on me
That crowd keeps yellin', tryna silence me
But I won't stop prayin', I got to believe
O Son of David, have mercy on me
Chorus (Repeat)
Bridge (Ryan Ellis & Brandon Lake)
I'm blinded and I can't see
And I'm broken without Your peace
God, I need You to come and set me free, yeah
'Cause I'm blinded and I can't see
And I'm broken without Your peace
God, I need You to come and set me free
Chorus (Repeat)
Outro (Ryan Ellis)
O Son of David, have mercy on me
Have mercy on me
Have mercy on me
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"Son of David" retells the gospel account of a blind man crying out to Jesus for mercy despite a crowd trying to silence him, adapting that scene into a first-person plea. The verses borrow the exact address used in that story, Son of David, and pair it with specific, concrete struggles, a soul described as broken, eyes that cannot see, a heavy heart, and coming winds that make breathing difficult. Naming the crowd that tries to quiet the cry directly ties the song to its biblical source rather than leaving the opposition vague, and the response matches the original account as well, refusing to stop praying despite that pressure. The chorus simplifies the plea into its shortest form, repeating only "have mercy on me" as a direct request rather than an explanation. The bridge names blindness and brokenness explicitly as the reason freedom is needed, asking God directly to come and set the singer free. Structurally the song stays close to a single scene and a single request throughout, letting repetition of that one plea carry the emotional weight rather than resolving it within the song itself.
Related Scripture
- Mark 10:47-48 Records a blind man crying "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me" despite a crowd trying to silence him, the direct source of the song.
- Psalm 51:1 Opens with a direct plea for God's mercy, matching the song's central repeated request.