Lyrics

DAYS OF MERCY
By Rupert Wates
(c) Rupert Wates / Eaton Music Ltd.

Daddy lost his job one day, when he wouldn't take a cut in pay
Couldn't find another place, even one that paid him less
So he settled into his easy chair, with his dog-eared magazines
Until the bank took back our house, and my mama only screamed

When she was a little girl,
She dreamed she found a pearl
Hidden in the pocket of her pants
But the pants were full of holes and when she woke the pearl was gone
She was only six years old

Hold on tight my mama said, Keep your eye upon the sun
Put your faith in the road ahead, Days of mercy will surely come
When the world is torn apart, In the eye of a hurricane
Let strength and courage fill your heart
Days of mercy will come again

So we sold off all we owned, headed east in a touring car
Found a place with a plot of kland, down in windy Arkansas
Daddy worked on the lady's farm, but my Mama heard it said
He didn't work that lady's fields, as much as he worked her bed

So she packed a cardboard case
With a single change of clothes
Put the baby on her hip
Told us all to follow close and we began the long walk home
To the California coast

Hold on tight my mama said, Keep your eye upon the sun
Put your faith in the road ahead, Days of mercy will surely come
When the world is torn apart, In the eye of a hurricane
Let strength and courage fill your heart
Days of mercy will come again

When I fainted from the heat, in the Oklahoma sun
Mama led me to a stream, dipped a cloth to bathe my head
Walked all through New Mexico, and in the migrant worker camps
I learned all there was to know, about the kindness of the poor

Though the children dressed in rags
They gave us everything they had
Bags of sweets and ready smiles
Fresh tortilla by the fire
In the huts of rusted iron 'till the baby started cryin'

Hold on tight my mama said, Keep your eye upon the sun
Put your faith in the road ahead, Days of mercy will surely come
When the world is torn apart, In the eye of a hurricane
Let strength and courage fill your heart
Days of mercy will come again

When we finally reached LA, by a lake in Lincoln Park
A man was standing all alone, throwing crumbs to feed the ducks
"When you gonna take those cildren home?" asked the man and my Mama said
"We just walked two thousand miles, we'll make it yet with a little luck"

Then the man just turned away
Said he guessed his time had come
He pulled out two dollar bills
Enough to see us right for a can of pork and beans
And some shelter for the night

Hold on tight my mama said, Keep your eye upon the sun
Put your faith in the road ahead, Days of mercy will surely come
When the world is torn apart, In the eye of a hurricane
Let strength and courage fill your heart
Days of mercy will come again