Old Wild Men

I’ve been thinking a lot about mercy the past week and this song, with its refrain of mercy has been replaying itself in my mind, over and over again. I listened to this song first at Christmas in 1974. We were living in Winnipeg and for Christmas that year my parents got me a little cassette player and a few tapes to go along with it. The album was Sheet Music and I listened to it over and over again (the other one was a K-Tel compilation that I also almost wore out). I’m sure my parents were happy my bedroom was in the lower level of the house, away from the living areas! I had just turned 13 years old and was probably the only 13 year old in Winnipeg listening to 10cc!

“Old Wild Men” was one of my favourites, with its haunting melody and touching lyrics. I remember re-winding the tape and playing it over and over again, singing the chorus until I couldn’t sing anymore.

“Lord have Mercy upon the many, Lord have mercy upon the few, Lord have mercy on me and on you”

Looking back on it now, “Old Wild Men” was a pretty morose song for a 13 year old (it might explain a lot about why I am the way I am now!).

 

Where are my boys?
They are in deepest water
Where are they now?
They are over the hill and far away
But they are broken men who lie low
Waiting for miracles
Old men of rock and roll
Came bearing music
Where are they now?
They are over the hill and far away
But they're still gonna play guitars
On dead strings, and old drums
They'll play and play to pass the time
The old wild men
Old wild men
Old wild men, waiting for miracles
Lord have mercy upon the many
Lord have mercy upon the few
Lord have mercy upon the many
Lord have mercy on me and on you