Mercy Street
{{Infobox song
| name     = Mercy Street
| cover    =
| alt      =
| artist   = Peter Gabriel
| album    = So
| released = October 1986
| recorded =
| studio   = 
| genre    = Worldbeat
| length   = 
| label    = Geffen
| writer   = Peter Gabriel
| producer = 
Daniel Lanois
Peter Gabriel
| tracks   =  {{Hidden
 | title        = 9 tracks
 | text         = 
Side one
 "Red Rain"
 "Sledgehammer"
 "Don't Give Up"
 "That Voice Again"
Side two
 "In Your Eyes"
 "Mercy Street"
 "Big Time"
 "We Do What We're Told"
 "This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)"
 }}
}}

"Mercy Street" is a song written by English musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So.

Background
The song was inspired by the personal and confessional works of the American poet Anne Sexton, who wrote a play titled Mercy Street and a poem titled "45 Mercy Street".  It features two harmonious Gabriel vocals; one a shadow vocal an octave below the main vocal. Intended to give a sensual, haunting effect, he could only capture this effect upon waking up.

A video was created for "Mercy Street", though the song was not released as a single.

Reception
NME listed the song as one of the "10 Most Depressing Songs Ever", describing it as a "beautifully produced number" featuring Gabriel's "usual sensitivity". They concluded "it isn’t until you’re a few listens in that you understand how devastating the whole thing is."

Personnel
Djalma Correa – surdo, congas, triangle
Larry Klein – bass
Richard Tee – piano
Mark Rivera – processed saxophone
Peter Gabriel – vocals, CMI, Prophet, piano, CS-80

Release details and cover versions
As well as appearing on side two of So, "Mercy Street" was released (remixed by William Orbit) on Gabriel's 1992 CD-single "Blood of Eden". It was also reinterpreted by Gabriel on his 2011 orchestral album New Blood.

The song was covered by Fever Ray and released in August 2010. Elbow have also released a version of the song on the album And I'll Scratch Yours. The studio album features Peter Gabriel songs from artists he covered on the companion album Scratch My Back.

The song was also covered by Solveig Slettahjell on her 2005 album (with Knut Reiersrud and In The Country), Trail of Souls.