Lyrics

I ran from my house

That cannot contain me

From the man that I cannot keep

From my mother who haunts me

Even though she's gone

From my daughter that never sleeps

I ran from the noise and the silence

From the traffic on the streets

I ran to the treetops

I ran to the sky

Out to the lake

Into the rain

That matted my hair

And soaked my shoes and skin

Hid my tears, hid my fears

I ran to the forest

I ran to the trees

I ran and I ran

I was looking for me

I ran past the churches

And the crooked old mailbox

Past the apple orchards

And the lady that never talks

Up into the hills

I ran to the cemetery

And held my breath

And thought about your death

I ran to the lake

Up into the hills

I ran and I ran

I'm looking there still

And I saw the crumbling tombstones

All forgotten names

I tasted the rain

I tasted my tears

I cursed the angels

I tasted my fears

And the ground gave way beneath my feet

And the earth took me in her arms

Leaves covered my face

Ants marched across my back

Black sky opened up

Blinding me

I ran to the forest

I ran to the trees

I ran and I ran

I was looking for me

I ran to the lakes

And up to the hill

I ran and I ran

I'm looking there still

And I smelt her burning flesh

Her rotting bones

Her decay

I ran and I ran

I'm still running away

Credits

Written by Madonna and William Orbit

Produced by Madonna and William Orbit

Percussion by Fergus Gerrand

Mer Girl contains an interpolation and certain elements from 'Space', performed by Gabor Szabo

Album

 Ray Of Light

Song

Although the entire album is very emotional, Mer Girl is definitely the most vulnerable song of Ray Of Light. Madonna talks about her personal life, about 'the man I cannot keep', 'my mother who haunts me' and 'my daughter that never sleeps'. It's a beautiful, but haunting song that perfectly ends the album.

While the other songs grew bit by bit from the imagination of Madonna and Orbit, the production of Mer Girl went quite differently. The sample Orbit provided was so perfect that Madonna just started singing the text she had already written. With a few slight changes, the music fit the lyrics perfectly.

It was a B-single for The Power Of Good-Bye (US).

Tour

During the beautiful Geisha-part of the Drowned World Tour, Mo sang the haunting Mer Girl, walking around on a jungle-like decor. The song was interrupted by Sky Fits Heaven, where she had to fight against evil spirits. When she conquered them, she continued Mer Girl. Singing 'And the ground gave way beneath my feet', she kneeled down by a hole in the ground with a shining red glow. Out of it came a shotgun, which she used to shoot the last evil spirit on stage. During her last three shows in LA she changed this part because of the terroristic attacks on New York and Washington on September 11th. Instead of shooting the dancer she puts down the gun and they walk off stage together.