"Kyrie Eleison" is Greek for "Lord, have mercy." It is used as a prayer in both Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox services. Greek was the original language of the New Testament and it was later translated in to Latin. This song is credited to lead singer Richard Page, keyboardist Steve George and lyricist John Lang. There is a myth that singer Richard Page wrote this song while lying in a hospital bed following an attack. Clearing up that urban legend that Page wrote the song after being attacked, John Lang told the Chicago Sun-Times of July 9th 2004: "Richard Page did write the music and melody, but I am the one who wrote the lyrics. I got the inspiration from singing it as a kid in an Episcopal church in Phoenix. Also, 'Kyrie' had nothing to do with Richard being assaulted, mainly because it wasn't Richard who was assaulted - it was me! But that happened three years before writing 'Kyrie,' and had nothing to do with that song." Mr. Mister was not a Christian band, but their frontman Richard Page considered this song a prayer. "I get a lot of power from meditation, from being still and realizing that what I'm doing is insignificant compared to the universe," he said. "That's what the song is all about." The [Electric Prunes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzkK3wUjuHw) released a song with a similar title in 1968 but is completely different, albeit coming from the same inspiration.