Mercy chords by Duffy

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Mercy | Chords + Lyrics

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) | G5 (D F) | G5 (D F) |
I love you, but I gotta stay true.
| G5 (D F) | G5 (D F) | G5 (D F) | G5 (D F) |
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.
| D7sus4 D9 | C7 C6 | G5 (D F) | G5 (D F) |
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

| G5 (D F) | G5 (D F) | G5 (D F) | G5 (D F) |
Now you think that I, will be something on the side.
| G5 (D F) | G5 (D F) | G5 (D F) | G5 (D F) |
But you got to understand that I need a man who can take my hand, yes I do.
| 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.
| 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

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).
| N.C | N.C |
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)?
| N.C | N.C |
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

| G G6 | G7 G6 |
Mercy (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
| G G6 | G7 G6 |
Why won’t you release me? (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
| C C6 | C7 C6 |
I’m 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 |
You got me begging you for mercy (Yeah, yeah, yeah)

Chorus 4

| G G6 | G7 G6 |
I’m begging you for mercy (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
| G G6 | G7 G6 |
I’m begging you for mercy (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
| C C6 | C7 C6 |
I’m begging you for mercy (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
| G G6 | G7 G6 |
I’m begging you for mercy (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
| D D7 D6 | C C7 C6 | G G6 | G7 G6 |
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, progressions, and TAB

In 2008, and for the next three or four years, Mercy by Duffy was as common on the set list as Valerie and Rolling In The Deep.

Then, in a sadistic twist of fate, Duffy was kidnapped and sexually abused. She withdrew from public life and so did the tune everyone had been dancing to every Saturday night.

As I now, many years later sit down and transcribe it, I’m kicking myself that I didn’t play it right all those years ago.

As a member, I’ll give you the TAB for how to play the chords you see above with lyrics, I finally got them right, shame no band is playing this awesome tune anymore!

I guess it is only of interest now for those who would like to study this blues/soul chord progression style that we’ve seen so many variations on since the 60s, Can I Get A Witness comes to mind now but there are many, many more examples.

If you want to write a hit like Mercy yourself, you should probably look into exactly how Duffy/her producers did it. The devil is in the detail as they say and to understand this world of chords, you need to compare similar tunes.

Here’s a direct link to the full lesson (members only): Mercy chord analysis and TAB.

Become a member today and get unlimited access to all my guitar courses, the SEPR practice route, and the eBook Spytunes Method – You can learn guitar!

Mercy chords | Related pages

Intermediate Electric

The intermediate electric tunes will help you with learning the CAGED system all over the fretboard, both for chords and pentatonic scales.

Learn these Motown/Soul classics, and you’ll not just improve dramatically but also gain yourself a repertoire.

Five similar tunes

When you can play Mercy's chords, try these five tunes from the song book.

Duffy

With her debut album Rockferry, Duffy took the world by storm, charting in the top 10 in 23 countries before she mysteriously disappeared.

Her best tunes on the debut include Mercy, Warwick Avenue, Syrup & Honey, and Stepping Stone.

Duffy on the web

Motown & Soul

You can learn how to play these Motown & Soul tunes, and in doing so, gain yourself a repertoire so you can jam with, or even join a working band.

Study these tunes in-depth and you will map out the fretboard, master the CAGED system, and learn how to design a rhythm guitar part that works in a band.