Johnny Cash – The Mercy Seat (Guitar)

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[Intro] N.C. It ALL began when they come took me from my home And put me on Death Row, a crime for which I am totally innocent, you know. [Verse 1]
  Am                   E
I began to warm and chill

  Am                    E
To objects and their fields,

  Am                    E
A ragged cup, a twisted mop

  Am                     E
The face of Jesus in my soup

  Am                     E
Those sinister dinner deals

  Am                        E
The meal trolley's wicked wheels

  Am                          E
A hooked bone rising from my food

  Am                          E
All things either good or ungood.
[Chorus]
Am
And the mercy seat is waiting

AmMaj7
And I think my head is burning

Am7
And in a way I'm yearning

       G                                   Gm
To be done with all this weighing of the truth.
An eye for an eye
                   Bb
And a tooth for a tooth

                      Fmaj7
And anyway I told the truth

                       Am
And I'm not afraid to die.
Am / E / Am / E [Verse 2]
Am
I hear stories from the chamber

AmMaj7
Christ was born into a manger

Am7
And like some ragged stranger

     G                           Gm
He died upon the cross. Might I say,

                           Bb
it seems so fitting in its way

                      Fmaj7
He was a carpenter by trade

                              Am
Or at least that's what I'm told
Am / E / Am / E
Am                         E
My kill-hand's tatooed E.V.I.L.

Am                      E
across it's brother's fist

Am              E
That filthy five!

Am                                  E
They did nothing to challenge or resist.

Am                              AmMaj7
In Heaven His throne is made of gold

                                Am7
The ark of his Testament is stowed
A throne from which I'm told
     G
All history does unfold.

Gm
It's made of wood and wire

       Bb
And my body is on fire

Fmaj7                 Am
And God is never far away.

Am                      AmMaj7
Into the mercy seat I climb

                               Am7
My head is shaved, my head is wired
And like a moth that tries
   G
To enter the bright eye

     Gm
I go shuffling out of life

        Bb
Just to hide in death awhile

Fmaj7              Am
And anyway I never lied.
[Chorus]
Am
And the mercy seat is waiting

AmMaj7
And I think my head is burning

Am7
And in a way I'm yearning

      G                                    Gm
To be done with all this weighing of the truth.
An eye for an eye
                  Bb
And a tooth for a tooth

                       Fmaj7
And anyway I told the truth

                       Am
And I'm not afraid to die.
[Verse 3]
Am
And the mercy seat is burning

AmMaj7
And I think my head is glowing

Am7
And in a way I'm hoping

      G                                    Gm
To be done with all this twisting of the truth.
An eye for an eye
                  Bb
And a tooth for a tooth

                        Fmaj7
And anyway there was no proof

                       Am
And I'm not afraid to die.

Am
And the mercy seat is glowing

AmMaj7
And I think my head is smoking

Am7
And in a way I'm hoping

      G                                 Gm
To be done with all these looks of disbelief.
A life for a life
                  Bb
And a truth for a truth

                             Fmaj7
And I've got nothing left to lose

                       Am
And I'm not afraid to die.

Am
And the mercy seat is smoking

AmMaj7
And I think my head is melting

Am7
And in a way that's helping

      G                                   Gm
To be done with all this twisting of the truth
An eye for an eye
                  Bb
And a tooth for a tooth

                      Fmaj7
And anyway I told the truth

                         Am
But I'm afraid I told a lie.