[2] Gabriel had acquired a collection of Sexton's work titled To Bedlam and Part Way Back at a bookshop in New York City.
He then reworked the verses, changed the song to include an English folk melody and strapped on lyrics based on Anne Sexton's work.
[4][5] Once these changes were made, Gabriel determined that there were enough differences to warrant the release of "Don't Break This Rhythm" and "Mercy Street" as two separate songs.
[6] During one of the recording sessions for "Mercy Street", the Brazilian rhythm was accidentally played back ten percent slower, giving it a grainy quality.
[8] Writing for Rolling Stone, Tim Holmes thought that "Mercy Street" was a "wistful and melanchol[ic]" dedication to Sexton.