The Mercy Seat

Song The Mercy Seat
Artist Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Album Tender Prey

Lyrics

[00:03.02] It began when they come took me from my home
[00:05.58] And put me in dead row,
[00:08.15] Of which i am nearly wholly innocent, you know.
[00:12.65] And i'll say it again
[00:14.46] I..am..not..afraid..to..die.
[00:17.43] I began to warm and chill
[00:19.49] To objects and their fields,
[00:21.80] A ragged cup, a twisted mop
[00:24.12] The face of jesus in my soup
[00:27.06] Those sinister dinner meals
[00:29.37] The meal trolley's wicked wheels
[00:32.12] A hooked bone rising from my food
[00:34.93] All things either good or ungood.
[00:37.31] And the mercy seat is waiting
[00:39.43] And i think my head is burning
[00:42.06] And in a way i'm yearning
[00:43.74] To be done with all this measuring of truth.
[00:47.49] An eye for an eye
[00:48.62] A tooth for a tooth
[00:49.68] And anyway i told the truth
[00:52.49] And i'm not afraid to die.
[00:55.12] Interpret signs and catalogue
[00:58.03] A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog.
[01:00.53] The walls are bad. black. bottom kind.
[01:03.03] They are sick breath at my hind
[01:05.16] They are sick breath at my hind
[01:07.22] They are sick breath at my hind
[01:09.53] They are sick breath gathering at my hind
[01:15.47] I hear stories from the chamber
[01:17.72] How christ was born into a manger
[01:20.28] And like some ragged stranger
[01:22.22] Died upon the cross
[01:23.34] And might i say it seems so fitting in its way
[01:27.84] He was a carpenter by trade
[01:30.78] Or at least that's what i'm told
[01:33.41] Like my good hand i
[01:36.16] Tatooed e.v.i.l. across it's brother's fist
[01:37.72] That filthy five! they did nothing to challenge or resist.
[01:43.09] In heaven his throne is made of gold
[01:45.84] The ark of his testament is stowed
[01:48.53] A throne from which i'm told
[01:50.34] All history does unfold.
[01:51.28] Down here it's made of wood and wire
[01:54.59] And my body is on fire
[01:58.20] And god is never far away.
[02:00.83] Into the mercy seat i climb
[02:03.33] My head is shaved, my head is wired
[02:05.95] And like a moth that tries
[02:07.76] To enter the bright eye
[02:09.70] I go shuffling out of life
[02:12.39] Just to hide in death awhile
[02:14.89] And anyway i never lied.
[02:18.76] My kill-hand is called e.v.i.l.
[02:20.77] Wears a wedding band that's g.o.o.d.
[02:22.58] `tis a long-suffering shackle
[02:26.08] Collaring all that rebel blood.
[02:28.76] And the mercy seat is waiting
[02:30.95] And i think my head is burning
[02:33.51] And in a way i'm yearning
[02:35.95] To be done with all this measuring of truth.
[02:38.95] An eye for an eye
[02:40.33] And a tooth for a tooth
[02:41.58] And anyway i told the truth
[02:44.02] And i'm not afraid to die.
[02:46.45] And the mercy seat is burning
[02:48.64] And i think my head is glowing
[02:51.14] And in a way i'm hoping
[02:52.70] To be done with all this weighing up of truth.
[02:56.70] An eye for an eye
[02:57.83] And a tooth for a tooth
[02:59.20] And i've got nothing left to lose
[03:02.33] And i'm not afraid to die.
[03:04.45] And the mercy seat is glowing
[03:05.95] And i think my head is smoking
[03:09.01] And in a way i'm hoping
[03:10.45] To be done with all this looks of disbelief.
[03:14.14] An eye for an eye
[03:15.52] And a tooth for a tooth
[03:16.95] And anyway there was no proof
[03:19.64] Nor a motive why.
[03:21.83] And the mercy seat is smoking
[03:24.08] And i think my head is melting
[03:26.52] And in a way i'm helping
[03:28.64] To be done with all this twisted of the truth.
[03:32.01] A lie for a lie
[03:33.20] And a truth for a truth
[03:34.45] And i've got nothing left to lose
[03:37.01] And i'm not afraid to die.
[03:38.77] And the mercy seat is melting
[03:41.83] And i think my blood is boiling
[03:44.20] And in a way i'm spoiling
[03:47.05] All the fun with all this truth and consequence.
[03:50.67] An eye for an eye
[03:51.55] And a truth for a truth
[03:52.61] And anyway i told the truth
[03:54.86] And i'm not afraid to die.
[03:57.23] And the mercy seat is waiting
[03:59.30] And i think my head is burning
[04:01.80] And in a way i'm yearning
[04:03.17] To be done with all this measuring of proof.
[04:07.36] A life for a life
[04:08.49] And a truth for a truth
[04:09.98] And anyway there was no proof
[04:12.61] But i'm not afraid to tell a lie.
[04:15.05] And the mercy seat is waiting
[04:17.23] And i think my head is burning
[04:19.55] And in a way i'm yearning
[04:21.17] To be done with all this measuring of truth.
[04:24.36] An eye for an eye
[04:26.11] And a truth for a truth
[04:27.80] And anyway i told the truth
[04:30.30] But i'm afraid i told a lie.