The Mercy Seat

transcribed by Greg O'Beirne ([email protected]) Note: Every version of the Mercy Seat is different and almost infinitely extendable. The version here is how I play the chords, plus the lyrics that appear in the booklet for the Tender Prey CD (with quite a few changes). In short, this is just an approximation, so choose your own lyrics from the vast selection that appear below. The chords are defined at the end. The Mercy Seat written by Nick Cave & Mick Harvey 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 deals The meal trolley's wicked wheels A hooked bone rising from my food. All things 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 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 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 tattooed E.V.I.L. across it's brother's fist That filthy five! They did nothing to 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, so I go shuffling out life, Just to hide in death a while 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 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 I told the truth, And I'm not afraid to die. 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 anyway I told the truth, And I'm not afraid to die. And the mercy seat is glowing And I think my head is smoking And in a way I'm hoping to be done with all these looks of disbeleif An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, And anyway I there was no proof, Nor a motive why. 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 twisting of truth, 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 melting And I think my blood is boiling And 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 And in a way I'm yearning to be done with all this measurement of proof, A lie for a lie and a truth for a truth, And anyway there was no proof, And I'm not afraid to tell a lie. 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 measurment of proof, An eye for an eye and a truth for a truth, And anyway I told the truth, And I'm afraid I told a lie. Chords: E -0---0--------0---0-------------------------------------------------- B -0---0--------0---0-------------------------------------------------- G -0---4--------9---9---------7---7---------10--10--------5---5-------- D -2---4--------9---9---------7---7---------10--10--------5---5-------- A -2---2--------7---7---------5---5---------8---8---------3---3-------- E -0---0--------0---7-------------5-------------8-------------3-------- Cheers, -- Greg O'Beirne [email protected] [email protected] http://www.uwa.edu.au/student/gobeirne/