Love and Mercy
| "Love and Mercy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Brian Wilson | ||||
| from the album Brian Wilson | ||||
| B-side | "He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move" | |||
| Released | July 1, 1988 | |||
| Recorded | April 1987 – February 1988 | |||
| Genre | Progressive pop | |||
| Length | 2:56 | |||
| Label | Sire | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Brian Wilson | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Brian Wilson singles chronology | ||||
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| "Love and Mercy" on YouTube | ||||
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"Love and Mercy" is a song by the American musician Brian Wilson and the opening track from his 1988 album Brian Wilson. Co-produced by Russ Titelman, the song was released as a single on July 1, 1988, but failed to chart. Psychologist Eugene Landy and his girlfriend Alexandra Morgan were formerly listed as co-writers. Wilson characterized "Love and Mercy" as a semi-autobiographical song that exemplifies his own "Jesus Christ complex," or in other words, his compulsion to "give love to people". The song was influenced by the 1965 hit "What the World Needs Now Is Love."
Wilson rerecorded "Love and Mercy" for the soundtrack to the 1995 documentary Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times. Since the late 1990s, it has been his closing number at his solo live concerts. Cover versions have been recorded by acts including Randy Stonehill and Wilco, as well as the Libera choir. The title was lifted for the 2014 biopic of Wilson's life.