Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite - "No Mercy In This Land" (Full Album Stream) 

That's pure blues! Thick thumbs up!!!

Ben and Charlie, together again. YES!!!

Ben Harper is possibly the most important purveyor of the blues under the age of 50, keeping the flame alive with songs that reflect the feel and intent of artists like Robert Johnson and Skip James. For the title track of No Mercy In This Land, his second album with blues harp icon Charlie Musselwhite, Harper wrote four verses that are very much subject to interpretation, but each of which stand on their own as a statement of the human condition. Harper explained his thoughts and feelings with American Songwriter behind the song’s verses via e-mail on the eve of the duo’s tour of the U.S. and Canada. “Each of the four verse sections is an individual plea for mercy in seemingly merciless times/circumstances. The first verse, indirectly, yet in no uncertain terms, is asking the current presidential administration, How can you claim to be any kind of believer and carry yourselves the way you do, and how will you answer for it in the event you are called upon to do so as you move on to the next plane. And what about Martin’s dream? What about the dreamers?” “The second verse section is Syria. A husband and wife or a family following the river to escape death or worse. A dentist or a doctor, a professor, your best friend, your sister or brother or neighbor fleeing for their lives leaving behind everything that won’t fit into a memory, desperately following the Euphrates towards Turkey, where if they are somehow delivered to safety, the work has only just begun as it’s now time to somehow get the others out. Meanwhile most of the rest of us, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, atheists alike, sit by, as if we are powerless. Just because I’m not powerful doesn’t mean I’m powerless. My wife and I have gone to Syrian refugee camps in Turkey with backpacks filled with as much cash as we could spare, sat and listened to the blind, the maimed, the Syrian mothers and fathers who had absolutely no idea how they will feed their kids tomorrow, transgender refugees who fled persecution, only to arrive in Turkey to more of the same. And then we go back to our debilitatingly comfortable lifestyles and ask ourselves if we made a difference.” “Verse three is back to the current political climate, what’s safe to say, when is safe to say it and who is safe to say it to. The news isn’t fake, the president is.” Then Harper explained the fourth verse, which is based on a tragedy that occurred in Musselwhite’s boyhood home in Mississippi. “The fourth and most important verse is the hardest thing I’ve ever written. In 2005, Charlie’s mom, Ruth Maxine Musselwhite, was murdered in her home at the age of 93. Charlie and I are friends and comrades and have been for 25 years. We lean on one another in a way that is specifically singular to the two of us. I’m honored Charlie trusted me to write an homage to his late mother. The song and the entire record is dedicated to her.” Harper talked about his partner’s singing on the title track, where the two trade verses, with Harper singing verses one and three, and Musselwhite singing verse two and then verse four, the verse about his mother: Father left us down here all alone My poor mother is under a stone With an aching heart and trembling hands Is there no mercy in this land “Charlie’s singing on the song ‘No Mercy In This Land’ is so special and rare,” Harper said. “I just can’t get over his vocals on the track.”

As always, the best music of the year from them.

This duo , this time, still gold.

Musselwhite's voice reminds me so much of Johnny cash

Downloaded on spotify as soon as i heard it, keep the good ones on repeat

Oct 2022, hearing this for the first time. Cool, no pretence, not trying too hard, not trying to do too much, just the backbone, nice for a rainy afternoon which it is here in Brisbane, cheers. :-)

Music you FEEL! So good. Simplicity prevails.

Browns Hard knocks, thank you for showing this

Love it... So Happy

A pretty good track. Looking forward to the album and the tour.

Great track.

Amazing music gentlemen! Been loving your collab's with each other! Such a treat to have more! New album means new supporting tour? North Carolina needs you! Ramkat in Winston-Salem, The Blind Tiger in Greensboro, Lincoln Theater in Raleigh, Neighborhood Theater in Charlotte! :)

ben, you never stop amazing and inspiring me. through all these years. thank you for your focus, discipline, and willingness to always show your heart in all that you do...always loving you, my brother,,,this work is exciting, cant wait to hear the rest. proud of you... author of "CONJUNCTIO'..Bless you, you are so loved!!

Awesome Song! Love it !

I'm here because of a Marc Marin interview. Glad I did.

trop bon ,le duo de retour!!!!!!

Great track ...reflects the blues.

Cool song guys love the easy way you both go sip back have a whisky time song

Real blues ! wonderful !

Grandiose comme toujours

Hard knocks anyone?

I love how this song is slow but still bad ass :)

Ive just got my copy! What a great music! 5*****

I first heard this on Billions, Season 4 episode 6.

New album coming? What a great new!

Yes! Du vrai blues ! J'adore !

Love it!!!!

I Love It!!!

This ones better than the last!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kings of blues told us; ------------------------------------------------------------------ What would be the first thing You'd say to the Lord And the last thing you would dream If you couldn't dream no more Won't you please help me to understand Is there no mercy in this land Followed the river 'til the river ran dry Followed my lover 'til we said goodbye Followed you through soldiers Who fire on command Is there no mercy in this land These days I speak in whispers Travel only to and from Come close you'll see the red Of a well bitten tongue The righteous and the wretched The holy and the damned Is there no mercy in this land Father left us down here all alone My poor mother is under a stone With an aching heart and trembling hands Is there no mercy in this land -------------------------------------------------------------------- nighttime in a black 67' impala at the middle of wasteland ....

Good music for bad times.

Que du bonheur !

hard knocks

De bons accents de Robert Jonhson dans ce morceau ! J'adore ces vieux blues à l'ancienne...

Lovely when you coming to liverpool

Whiskey Gingers where you at?

Yes!

Yess !!

Господь вас уважает!👍

excellent!

Nice

Billions

Legends ♡♥

wow!!!!!!

real blues

Album of the year released in the first month lol

No mercy in this world too🎩👍

Love

Kd os Br que pira num blues?

et c'est bien vrai ! Charlie est à l'harmo ce que John Lee fut à la guitare the Healer, un chaman qui te nettoie l'encéphale à la blue note ! Enjoy

Dig it

Something real! How weird'

Heavy

Billions...

Anyone got the tuning of the song please ?

I bet this track will end up beeing in a trailer

rules made for ears

😭😭😭😭

your own reflection

I haven't been this early since I was yanked from the womb at 6-1/2 months.

wonder

😍🥰

вкусноооооооооооооооооо!!!!!!!!!!!!! играют!!!!!!!!!

omg

🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

not too shabby, me thinks

Went to Spotify and add it to my music

À méditer...

Am I the only one who hears Heartbreak Hotel in this?

Wow, that sounded like Jimi Hendrix and and Johnny Cash sitting in a room just jammin.

POV u thought this was the cod wwll trailer theme

Three note like. Better from there.