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The Mercy Seat Lyrics

[Nick Cave]

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
A 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
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth
An eye for an eye
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 sick breath at my hind
They are sick breath at my hind
They are sick breath at my hind
They are sick breath gathering at my hind

I hear stories from the chamber
How Christ was born into a manger
And like some ragged stranger
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 EVIL across it's 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
And 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 EVIL
Wears a wedding band that's GOOD
`Tis a long-suffering shackle
Collaring all that rebel blood

And the mercy seat is burning
And I think my head is glowing
And 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 waiting
And I think my head is burning
And 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 there was no proof
Nor a motive why
And the mercy seat is awaiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
to be done with all this measuring of truth
A life for a life and a truth for a truth
And anyway there was no proof
And I'm not afraid to die

And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is smoking
And in a way I'm hoping
To be done with all this looks of disbelief
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 waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth
An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die

And the mercy seat is smoking
And I think my head is melting
And in a way I'm helping
To be done with all this twisted 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
Report lyrics
Moving On: Flux (2010)
Journey to Descent Moving On Broken Heart Cliché The Fall Godless I Can't Be the One Visceral, Venom of My Being Tear Down the Walls Hypocrite and Contradict Third Party The Mercy Seat Obligatory Club Hit to Appease the Masses I Can't Be the One (De_Tot_Cor mix) Godless (Hard dance remix by Studio-X) I Can't Be the One (Torment mix by Ex.Es) Moving On, Part II The Coldness of Caring Monster Numb to Forget Oh, You've Come Undone Dig Deeper Get Your Mind Out of the Gutter Inspired by... A Study in Evolution Moving On (Acylum mix) Godless (Neikka RPM mix) Broken Heart Cliché (Kant Kino mix) I Can't Be the One (DYM mix) Godless (Siva Six remix) Broken Heart Cliché (Larva mix) The Fall (Wynardtage mix) Godless (Implant mix) Broken Heart Cliché (Alien Vampires mix) Moving On (Essence of Mind mix) Godless (Deadman mix) Broken Heart Cliché (Hex-RX mix) I Can't Be the One (Xykogen mix) Godless (Fraqtured-Sound remix) Broken Heart Cliché (Freakangel mix) The Fall (Detritus remix)