Songfacts®:

• How Mercy Looks From Here was entirely written by Amy Grant with the exception of this song, which was penned by Eric Paslay ("Friday Night"). The songwriter also supplied additional vocals for the track, together with Grant's friend Sheryl Crow. Paslay told Radio.com that he had been keeping the song for his own eponymous debut album until Grant persuaded him otherwise. "'Deep As It Is Wide' was one of the songs that I kept very close to my chest," he said. "A lot of people in town wanted to record it, but I was like, 'I've got to be a part of this.' I had written it by myself, and Amy Grant came to me and said, 'My album is coming out and I'd love to cut "Deep As It Is Wide." How about if I and you and Sheryl Crow sing it together?' There's no way I'm going to turn that down. My life has been filled with their music for a long time."
• Paslay explained the meaning of this potent anthem: "It's about the hope that there is something bigger and better than us," he said. "There's light at the end of the tunnel and there's something out there."
  
  "When I finished this song I wanted to make sure there wasn't a disconnect between each verse, so I went down the street to play it for a friend," Paslay continued. "The way I was sitting, I couldn't see her while I was playing. When I was finished singing, I turned around and she was crying, so I figured I was done."