"Kyrie" () is a song by American
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
band
Mr. Mister
Mr. Mister was an American rock band from Phoenix, Arizona, active from 1982 until 1990. The band consisted of Richard Page (musician), Richard Page on lead vocals and bass guitar, Steve George (keyboardist), Steve George on keyboards/backing v ...
, from their album ''
Welcome to the Real World''. Released around
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
in 1985, it hit the top spot on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in March 1986, where it was number 1 for two weeks. It also hit the top spot on the ''Billboard''
Top Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock is a music chart in '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in ...
chart for one week. In the UK, the song peaked at number 11 in March 1986.
Background and writing
The lyrics to "Kyrie" were written by
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
-born John Lang who co-wrote the songs on all of Mr. Mister's albums. The music was composed by
Richard Page
Richard Lewis Page (born 22 February 1941) is a former Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and from December 1979 to 2005.
Early life
Born the son of Victor Charles Page, he went to the independent H ...
and
Steve George while on tour with
Adam Ant
Stuart Leslie Goddard, better known as Adam Ant (born 3 November 1954), is an English singer, musician, and actor. He gained popularity as the lead singer of new wave group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring 10 UK top ten ...
.
Kýrie, eléison means "Lord, have mercy" in Greek, and is a part of many liturgical rites in Eastern and Western Christianity. ''Kýrie, eléison; Christé, eléison; Kýrie, eléison'' is a prayer that asks "Lord, have mercy;
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
, have mercy; Lord, have mercy."
[Kýrie, eléison](_blank)
– Translation from the StraightDope According to Page the entire song is, essentially, a prayer.
– RetroRewind interview
There is a myth that singer Richard Page wrote "Kyrie" while lying in a hospital bed following being assaulted. John Lang has stated that he was the one who was assaulted, three years before the composition, and that the incident has nothing to do with the song.
The video was directed by
Nick Morris
Nick Morris is a British film maker better known for directing music videos in the 1980's.
Career
Nick Morris began writing and making amateur films at school, one of which was shown at the NFT. His professional career began in the 1980s with m ...
, and features the band in performance mixed with footage taken at the tail end of their Autumn 1985 tour with
Tina Turner
Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...
.
[Kyrie details](_blank)
– from Mr. Mister fansite
"Kyrie" was used in the hit U.S. TV series ''
Miami Vice
''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...
'' during season two, episode fourteen "One-Way Ticket".
It was also used in the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
series' ''
GLOW'' as well as the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
sitcom
The Goldbergs. The U.S. 7" single can be found pressed on transparent purple vinyl or polystyrene, depending on where it was manufactured.
Reception
''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' said it's a "booming track which...features top musicianship and a soaring chorus
hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
."
Track listing
;7" single
#"Kyrie" (single edit) – 4:10
#"Run to Her" – 3:36
;12" single
#"Kyrie" (album version) – 4:24
#"Run to Her" – 3:36
#"Hunters of the Night" – 5:07
The single edit (which was also used for the video version) ends with the
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
phrase "Kýrie, eléison, down the road that I must travel", while the album version simply fades out.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
All-time charts
Cover versions
In 1993,
Acappella Vocal Band
Acappella Vocal Band (AVB) was a vocal group put together by Keith Lancaster in 1986 to augment the vocal group Acappella. AVB's popularity and ministry quickly grew, prompting Lancaster to launch AVB as a full-time touring group in 1988. AVB we ...
, a traditional Southern gospel group, included a version of the song on their album ''U And Me And God Make 5 (Word)''. The group later recorded a Spanish version of the song as well. Also in 1993, the song, retitled as "Kyrie Eleison", was covered by
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and s ...
duo
East to West on their self-titled debut album.
Contemporary Christian artist
Mark Schultz recorded it for his 2001 album ''Song Cinema''.
Notes
{{authority control
1985 singles
1985 songs
Mr. Mister songs
Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Cashbox number-one singles
Number-one singles in Norway
RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Songs written by Steve George (keyboardist)
Songs written by Richard Page (musician)
RCA Records singles
Rock ballads