The Mercy Seat
It began when they come took me from my home
And put me in Dead Row
Of which I am nearly wholly innocent, you know
And I'll say it again
I am not afraid to die
I began to warm and chill
To objects and their fields
A ragged cup, a twisted mop
The face of Jesus in my soup
Those sinister dinner meals
The meal trolley's wicked wheels
Hooked bone rising from my food
All things either good or ungood
And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
In a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth
An eye for an eye
And A tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die
Interpret signs and catalogue
A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog
The walls are bad, black, bottom kind
They are the sick breath at my hind
They are the sick breath at my hind
They are the sick breath at my hind
They are the sick breath gathering at my hind
I hear stories from the chamber
How Christ was born into a manger
Like some ragged stranger
He died upon the cross
And might I say it seems so fitting in its way
He was a carpenter by trade
Or at least that's what I'm told
Like my good hand I tatooed E.V.I.L. across its brother's fist
That filthy five! They did nothing to challenge or resist
In Heaven His throne is made of gold
The ark of his Testament is stowed
A throne from which I'm told
All history does unfold
Down here it's made of wood and wire
And my body is on fire
And God is never far away
Into the mercy seat I climb
My head is shaved, my head is wired
Like a moth that tries
To enter the bright eye
I go shuffling out of life
Just to hide in death awhile
And anyway I never lied
My kill-hand is called E.V.I.L.
Wears a wedding band that's G.O.O.D.
Tis a long-suffering shackle
Collaring all that rebel blood
And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
In a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth
An eye for an eye
And A tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die
And the mercy seat is burning
And I think my head is glowing
In a way I'm hoping
To be done with all this weighing up of truth
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And I've got nothing left to lose
And I'm not afraid to die
And the mercy seat is glowing
And I think my head is smoking
In a way I'm hoping
To be done with all these looks of disbelief
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway there was no proof
And Nor a motive why
And the mercy seat is smoking
And I think my head is melting
In a way I'm helping
To be done with all this twistin' of the truth
A lie for a lie
And a truth for a truth
And I've got nothing left to lose
And I'm not afraid to die
And the mercy seat is melting
And I think my blood is boiling
In a way I'm spoiling
All the fun with all this truth and consequence
An eye for an eye
And a truth for a truth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die
And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
In a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of proof
A life for a life
And a truth for a truth
But anyway there was no proof
But I'm not afraid to lie
And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
In a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth
An eye for an eye
And a truth for a truth
But anyway I told the truth
But I'm afraid I don't know why! (But I'm not afraid to lie)
And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
In a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth
An eye for an eye
And a truth for a truth
But anyway I told the truth
But I'm afraid I don't know why!
It began when they come took me from my home
And put me in Dead Row
Of which I am nearly wholly innocent, you know
And I'll say it again
I am not afraid to die
I began to warm and chill
To objects and their fields
A ragged cup, a twisted mop
The face of Jesus in my soup
Those sinister dinner meals
The meal trolley's wicked wheels
Hooked bone rising from my food
All things either good or ungood
And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
In a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth
An eye for an eye
And A tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die
Interpret signs and catalogue
A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog
The walls are bad, black, bottom kind
They are the sick breath at my hind
They are the sick breath at my hind
They are the sick breath at my hind
They are the sick breath gathering at my hind
I hear stories from the chamber
How Christ was born into a manger
Like some ragged stranger
He died upon the cross
And might I say it seems so fitting in its way
He was a carpenter by trade
Or at least that's what I'm told
Like my good hand I tatooed E.V.I.L. across its brother's fist
That filthy five! They did nothing to challenge or resist
In Heaven His throne is made of gold
The ark of his Testament is stowed
A throne from which I'm told
All history does unfold
Down here it's made of wood and wire
And my body is on fire
And God is never far away
Into the mercy seat I climb
My head is shaved, my head is wired
Like a moth that tries
To enter the bright eye
I go shuffling out of life
Just to hide in death awhile
And anyway I never lied
My kill-hand is called E.V.I.L.
Wears a wedding band that's G.O.O.D.
Tis a long-suffering shackle
Collaring all that rebel blood
And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
In a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth
An eye for an eye
And A tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die
And the mercy seat is burning
And I think my head is glowing
In a way I'm hoping
To be done with all this weighing up of truth
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And I've got nothing left to lose
And I'm not afraid to die
And the mercy seat is glowing
And I think my head is smoking
In a way I'm hoping
To be done with all these looks of disbelief
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway there was no proof
And Nor a motive why
And the mercy seat is smoking
And I think my head is melting
In a way I'm helping
To be done with all this twistin' of the truth
A lie for a lie
And a truth for a truth
And I've got nothing left to lose
And I'm not afraid to die
And the mercy seat is melting
And I think my blood is boiling
In a way I'm spoiling
All the fun with all this truth and consequence
An eye for an eye
And a truth for a truth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die
And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
In a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of proof
A life for a life
And a truth for a truth
But anyway there was no proof
But I'm not afraid to lie
And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
In a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth
An eye for an eye
And a truth for a truth
But anyway I told the truth
But I'm afraid I don't know why! (But I'm not afraid to lie)
And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
In a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth
An eye for an eye
And a truth for a truth
But anyway I told the truth
But I'm afraid I don't know why!