My arms are tired and weary
These wounds are on full display
I’ve tried every door in the hallway
There’s just no where that I feel safe
I see the light but never find the surface
I don’t know if I can swim no more
White knuckles and wild horses
One day we’ll wash up on mercy’s shore
One day we’ll wash up on mercy’s shore
I’m lost in the waves that crush me
They bring discovery where darkness hides
Just over the ridge in front of you
Another mountain that you’ll have to climb
We’re a child in the car asleep
In the driveway at night
Our mother’s gonna slowly sneak
Our body inside
We can rest in the arms of trust
There’s no way that we can say
We’ve earned our way into light
All we have to do to is stay
I’ve been battling a broken heart
Everybody knows I’m torn apart
Since I was 8 years old and I thought that
God was a girl in my school
If we can wind up on a sandy beach
Breathing air that only death can reach
And singing songs that only heaven leaves
It’s okay with me
And God is wanting us to make believe
But knowing something is only a dream
Like the absolutes and the in-between
Are out of line, sometimes, intertwined, behind
A mind, in line, and fights that only fools are still trying to fight
Mercy's Shore
Mercy's Shore Song Meaning, Biblical Reference and Inspiration
NeedToBreathe's song "Mercy's Shore" navigates the deep waters of human struggle and the longing for ultimate rest and safety. The lyrics immediately immerse the listener in a state of weariness and vulnerability, describing tired arms, open wounds, and a pervasive feeling of being unsafe despite searching for refuge. This paints a vivid picture of someone at the end of their physical and emotional capacity, overwhelmed by the trials of life. The imagery of trying every door in a hallway suggests a desperate search for solutions or escape, all proving fruitless.
The powerful metaphor of being lost in the waves that crush speaks to overwhelming challenges that simultaneously expose hidden vulnerabilities or "darkness." Despite seeing the light, the surface feels unreachable, leading to a declaration of exhaustion and inability to continue swimming. Yet, woven into this struggle is a persistent hope, a future certainty that "One day we'll wash up on mercy's shore." This destination represents a place of final peace, safety, and grace, achieved not through effort but through arrival, like debris carried by the tide. The white knuckles and wild horses evoke the intense, often chaotic effort exerted in the midst of struggle before surrendering to the current towards this shore.
A central theme emerges through the analogy of a sleeping child carried from a car into the house by a mother. This poignant image illustrates a state of helpless dependence where rest and security are provided entirely through the action of another. This directly parallels the spiritual concept that arrival at "mercy's shore" is not earned through personal struggle or merit. The lyrics explicitly state, "There's no way that we can say we've earned our way into light; All we have to do is stay." This highlights grace as the means of reaching safety, requiring only presence and perhaps a passive trust, rather than strenuous effort or achievement. The video for the song, released on September 3, 2020, visually complements this narrative of journey and arrival.
The song delves further into the deeply personal and long-standing nature of brokenness, referencing a heart torn apart since childhood. It touches on early, perhaps naive, perceptions of faith before returning to the longing for final peace. The desire to reach a "sandy beach," breathe air only accessible after passing through difficulty (suggested by "air that only death can reach"), and sing songs resonant with heaven speaks to a profound yearning for a state beyond present suffering. The reflection on "make believe," dreams, absolutes, and the complexities of faith and reality suggests an internal landscape wrestling with what is real, what is hoped for, and the nature of the internal battles that occupy the mind. These fights are ultimately seen as futile for those who continue them, reinforcing the idea that rest and peace come not from winning battles but from reaching the shore of mercy. Themes echoed in scripture relate to finding rest for weary souls (Matthew 11:28), God's steadfast mercy (Psalm 23:6), being carried through trials (Isaiah 40:11), and salvation being a gift of grace, not works (Ephesians 2:8-9). The journey described resonates with the biblical concept of pilgrimage through a fallen world towards a promised eternal home or place of rest.
