Chords + Lyrics | Mercy
Intro
||: G5 (D F) :|| x4
Hit the beat and take it to the verse, now.
| G G6 | G7 G6 |
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
| G G6 | G7 G6 | D7sus4 D9 | C7 C6 | G G6 | G7 |
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Verse 1
||: G5 (D F) | G5 (D F) :||
I love you, but I gotta stay true.
My morals got me on my knees, I’m begging, please, stop playing games.
||: D7sus4 D9 | C7 C6 | G5 (D F) | G5 (D F) :||
I don’t know what this is ‘cause you got me good, just like you knew you would.
I don’t know what you do but you do it well, I’m under your spell.
Chorus 1
| G G6 | G7 G6 |
You got me begging you for mercy (yeah, yeah, yeah).
| G G6 | G7 G6 |
Why won’t you release me (yeah, yeah, yeah)?
| C C6 | C7 C6 |
You got me begging you for mercy (yeah, yeah, yeah).
| G G6 | G7 G6 |
Why won’t you release me (yeah, yeah, yeah)?
| D D7 D6 | C C7 C6 | G G6 | G7 G6 |
I said release (yeah, yeah, yeah) me (yeah, yeah, yeah).
Verse 2
Now you think that I, will be something on the side.
But you got to understand that I need a man who can take my hand, yes I do.
I don’t know what this is, ’cause you got me good, just like you knew you would.
| D7sus4 D9 | C7 C6 | G5 (D F) | G5 (bend b5) |
I don’t know what you do but you do it well, I’m under your spell.
Chorus 2
You got me begging you for mercy (yeah, yeah, yeah).
Why won’t you release me (yeah, yeah, yeah)?
You got me begging you for mercy (yeah, yeah, yeah).
Why won’t you release me (yeah, yeah, yeah)?
I said you’d better release (yeah, yeah, yeah). Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Breakdown
||: N.C | N.C :||
I’m begging you for mercy (you look at me and think we’re the same kind, ‘cause you don’t know what I got and).
Yes, why won’t you release me (I’m gonna get more than I’m asking for but I just don’t want to waste my time)?
I’m begging you for mercy (You know that I’ll be the other girl, just like there’s nothing in this world).
| N.C | N.C | N.C | (bend b5) |
You got me begging. You got me begging. You got me begging (I know that I’m gonna get me some, I just don’t know where to get it from).
Chorus 3
Mercy (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Why won’t you release me? (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’m begging you for mercy (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Why won’t you release me? (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
You got me begging you for mercy (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Chorus 4
I’m begging you for mercy (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’m begging you for mercy (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’m begging you for mercy (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’m begging you for mercy (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Why won’t you release me, yeah! yeah!
Outro
||: G5 (D F) :|| to fade
Break it down. Mercy, begging you for mercy.
(Believe me) You got me begging, down on my knees.
I said, you got me begging, begging you for mercy
You got me begging. Eeeeh, eeeeh…
Mercy Chords: Transcription is Key to Understanding the Extensions
The chords for Duffy‘s Mercy are far more complex than I initially thought when I played it at nearly every gig back in 2010.
At the time, I considered it just a blues-style tune in the key of G, where I could improvise over it.
However, many years later, as I sit down to transcribe it, I realise I missed some great chord riffs that are definitely worth exploring.
The chords in Mercy feature various extensions that require TAB to fully understand. Once you’ve seen this, the chords and lyrics will make perfect sense.
Here’s a direct link to the TAB lesson: Mercy – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
The TAB details how to play the chords alongside the lyrics. I finally got them right—it’s a shame no bands are playing this awesome tune anymore!
I suppose it’s mainly of interest now for those wanting to study this blues/soul chord progression style, which has seen countless variations since the ’60s. Can I Get A Witness comes to mind as one of the first examples, and there have been many more since.
If you’re aiming to write a hit like Mercy, you should probably explore exactly how Duffy and her producers crafted it.
As the saying goes, “the devil is in the details.” To truly understand these chord progressions, you need to transcribe carefully and compare what you find to similar tunes—or you could let me do it for you!
Once you grasp the TAB and its chord extensions, a simple chord chart is all you need. Here’s one I made for you.
Mercy Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Mercy chord chart PDF.
This chart was created using iRealPro, here’s a link to that file: Mercy iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Mercy TAB | Course Preview
The course includes clever TAB that shows how to incorporate all the key movements from the original recording into playable guitar parts.
As a preview, here’s the simplest section—the intro/verse riff:
Mercy was a U.K. Standard for a Few Years!
From 2008 and for the next few years, Mercy by Duffy was as common on setlists as Valerie and Rolling In The Deep. The song became a regular in clubs, bars, and live performances across the country.
However, in a tragic turn of events, Duffy was kidnapped and sexually abused, which led her to withdraw from public life. As a result, Mercy disappeared from the airwaves, and the song that had once been a staple of Saturday nights faded away.
During this period, the U.K. saw the rise of other powerful female voices, most notably Amy Winehouse, who tragically passed away in 2011, and Adele, who has continued to grow in fame. These three singers brought more of a soul and blues influence, in contrast to the more pop-centric sounds of artists like Ellie Goulding and Jessie J, who were also prominent at the time.
Mercy Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Mercy (Duffy) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
