I studied many of Anne Sexton's poems and though I have fogotten many of the references of this song I do remember a few.
The title itself is taken from Anne's poem "45 Mercy Street" which is a poem about Anne looking for this address yet she cannot find it. It is debatable who is seeking mercy, her or her abusing family. In this poem she also mentions her father who I believe the "daddy" in the chorus refers to.
The line "Pulling the paper..." could be taken from a poem (I'm sorry I've totally forgotten the title) about her looking through a family album while cleaning her dead parents' house.
The corridors or green and grey are definitly a reference to her many stays in mental instututions as she was suicidal.
As for "The kiss on Mary's lips" this is taken from Anne's poem "The Kiss" which has a very similar line. The poem, I believe, is about Anne's loss of virginity. Some people believe it is about childbirth. Either way that is where Peter took this line from haha.
Lastly, the lines about rowing come from Anne's poem "Rowing". This is one of her last poems. As she matured she became more and more religious and that poem is about her rowing to God, yet she never is able to reach him in the poem. Peter knew that Anne eventually succeeded in killing herself and by writing she's with her father out in the boat he is finishing her poem by finally letting her reach God after a life of torment and mental disease.
I'm sorry I dont remember which poems the line about the doctor and socks comes from I remmeber there was one where she describes the doctors as someone with extreme reverance from the patients so I think it may come from that.
All in all, this song is based on a compilation of poems by Anne Sexton as well as some parts of her life.
I studied many of Anne Sexton's poems and though I have fogotten many of the references of this song I do remember a few.
The title itself is taken from Anne's poem "45 Mercy Street" which is a poem about Anne looking for this address yet she cannot find it. It is debatable who is seeking mercy, her or her abusing family. In this poem she also mentions her father who I believe the "daddy" in the chorus refers to.
The line "Pulling the paper..." could be taken from a poem (I'm sorry I've totally forgotten the title) about her looking through a family album while cleaning her dead parents' house.
The corridors or green and grey are definitly a reference to her many stays in mental instututions as she was suicidal.
As for "The kiss on Mary's lips" this is taken from Anne's poem "The Kiss" which has a very similar line. The poem, I believe, is about Anne's loss of virginity. Some people believe it is about childbirth. Either way that is where Peter took this line from haha.
Lastly, the lines about rowing come from Anne's poem "Rowing". This is one of her last poems. As she matured she became more and more religious and that poem is about her rowing to God, yet she never is able to reach him in the poem. Peter knew that Anne eventually succeeded in killing herself and by writing she's with her father out in the boat he is finishing her poem by finally letting her reach God after a life of torment and mental disease.
I'm sorry I dont remember which poems the line about the doctor and socks comes from I remmeber there was one where she describes the doctors as someone with extreme reverance from the patients so I think it may come from that.
All in all, this song is based on a compilation of poems by Anne Sexton as well as some parts of her life.
I think we can all agree it is a beautiful song!