Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – The Mercy Seat (Guitar)
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#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
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Date: Fri, 29 Sep 1995 01:07:48 +0800 (WST)
From: "Greg O'Beirne" <[email protected]>
Subject: CRD: "The Mercy Seat" by Nick Cave
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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.
Em B(addE) I began to warm and chill Em B(addE) To objects and their fields Em B(addE) A ragged cup, a twisted mop Em B(addE) The face of Jesus in my soup Em B(addE) Those sinister dinner deals Em B(addE) The meal trolley's wicked wheels Em B(addE) A hooked bone rising from my Em B(addE) food. All things good or ungood. E5 And the mercy seat is waiting E5(addB) And I think my head is burning E5 E5(addB) And in a way I'm yearning to be D5 D5(addA) done with all this measuring of D5 D5(addA) truth, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a F5 F5(addC) tooth, And anyway I told the C5 C5(addG) truth, And I'm not afraid to die. Em B(addE) Interpret signs and catalogue Em B(addE) A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog Em B(addE) The walls are bad. Black. Bottom kind. Em B(addE) They are the sick breath at my hind Em B(addE) They are the sick breath at my hind Em B(addE) They are the sick breath at my hind Em B(addE) They are the sick breath gathering Em B(addE) at my hind. E5 E5(addB) I hear stories from the E5 E5(addB) chamber, How Christ was born into a E5 E5(addB) manger And like some ragged stranger D5 D5(addA) Died upon the cross, And might I D5 D5(addA) say it seems so fitting in its F5 F5(addC) way He was a carpenter by C5 C5(addG) trade, Or at least that's what I'm Em B(addE) told.
Em B(addE)
Em B(addE) Like my good hand Em B(addE) I tattooed E.V.I.L. across it's Em B(addE) brother's fist Em B(addE) That filthy five! They did Em B(addE) nothing to resist. E5 E5(addB) In heaven His throne is made of gold E5 E5(addB) The ark of His testament is E5 E5(addB) stowed, A throne from which I'm told all D5 D5(addA) history does unfold, Down here it's D5 D5(addA) made of wood and wire, And my F5 F5(addC) body is on fire C5 C5(addG) And God is never far away. Em B(addE) Into the mercy seat I climb Em B(addE) My head is shaved, my head is Em B(addE) wired, And like a moth that tries to D5 D5(addA) enter the bright eye, so I go D5 D5(addA) shuffling out life, Just to F5 F5(addC) hide in death a while C5 C5(addG) And anyway I never lied. Em B(addE) My kill-hand is called E.V.I.L. Em B(addE) Wears a wedding band that's G.O.O.D. Em B(addE) 'Tis a long suffering shackle Em B(addE) Collaring all that rebel blood E5 And the mercy seat is waiting E5(addB) And I think my head is burning E5 E5(addB) And in a way I'm yearning to be D5 D5(addA) done with all this measuring of D5 D5(addA) truth, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a F5 F5(addC) tooth, And anyway I told the C5 C5(addG) truth, And I'm not afraid to die. E5 And the mercy seat is burning E5(addB) And I think my head is glowing E5 E5(addB) And in a way I'm hoping to be D5 D5(addA) done with all this weighing up of D5 D5(addA) truth, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a F5 F5(addC) tooth, And anyway I told the C5 C5(addG) truth, And I'm not afraid to die. E5 And the mercy seat is glowing E5(addB) And I think my head is smoking E5 E5(addB) And in a way I'm hoping to be D5 D5(addA) done with all these looks of disbeleif D5 D5(addA) An eye for an eye and a tooth for a F5 F5(addC) tooth, And anyway I there was no C5 C5(addG) proof, Nor a motive why. E5 And the mercy seat is smoking E5(addB) And I think my head is melting E5 E5(addB) And in a way I'm helping to be D5 D5(addA) done with all this twisting of D5 D5(addA) truth, An eye for an eye and a truth for a F5 F5(addC) truth, And anyway I told the C5 C5(addG) truth, And I'm not afraid to die. E5 And the mercy seat is melting E5(addB) And I think my blood is boiling E5 E5(addB) And in a way I'm spoiling all the D5 D5(addA) fun with all this truth and consequence D5 D5(addA) An eye for an eye and a truth for a F5 F5(addC) truth, And anyway I told the C5 C5(addG) truth, And I'm not afraid to die. E5 And the mercy seat is waiting E5(addB) And I think my head is burning E5 E5(addB) And in a way I'm yearning to be D5 D5(addA) done with all this measurement of D5 D5(addA) proof, A lie for a lie and a truth for a F5 F5(addC) truth, And anyway there was no C5 C5(addG) proof, And I'm not afraid to tell a lie. E5 And the mercy seat is waiting E5(addB) And I think my head is burning E5 E5(addB) And in a way I'm yearning to be D5 D5(addA) done with all this measurment of D5 D5(addA) proof, An eye for an eye and a truth for a F5 F5(addC) truth, And anyway I told the C5 C5(addG) 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--------|
Em B(addE) E5 E5(addB) D5 D5(addA) F5 F5(addC) C5 C5(addG)
Cheers,
--
Greg O'Beirne
[email protected]
[email protected]
http://www.uwa.edu.au/student/gobeirne/