Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – The Mercy Seat (Guitar Live)

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[Intro] N.C. 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 [Verse 1]
Em             Bm
   I began to warm and chill

Em             Bm
   To objects and their fields,

Em              Bm
   A ragged cup, a twisted mop

Em                   Bm
   The face of Jesus in my soup

Em                Bm
   Those sinister dinner meals

Em                     Bm
   The meal trolley’s wicked wheels

Em               Bm             Em
   A hooked bone rising from my food

     Bm
All things either good or ungood
[Chorus]
Em
   And the mercy seat is waiting

Em
   And I think my head is burning

Bm
   And in a way I’m yearning

       D                               Dm
To be done with all this measuring of truth
An eye for an eye
               F
A tooth for a tooth

                       C
An anyway I told the truth

                      Em
And I’m not afraid to die
[Verse 2]
Em            Bm
   Interpret signs and catalogue

Em              Bm
   A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog

Em               Bm
   The walls are bad, black bottom kind

Em               Bm
   They are the sick breath at my hind

Em               Bm
   They are the sick breath at my hind

Em               Bm
   They are the sick breath at my hind

Em               Bm                   Em        Bm
   They are the sick breath gathering    at my hind
[Chorus]
Em
   I hear stories from the chamber

Em
   How Christ was born into a manger

Bm
   And like some ragged stranger

 D
Died upon the cross

             Dm                             F
And might I say it seems so fitting in its way

                        C
He was a carpenter by trade

                             Em
Or at least that’s what I’m told.
[Verse 3]
Em      Bm
   Like my good hand I

         Em                     Bm
Tattooed E.V.I.L. across it’s brother’s fist

Em                   Bm
   That filthy five!    They did nothing

     Em           Bm
To challenge or resist
[Chorus]
Em
   In Heaven His throne is made of gold

Em
   The ark of His testament is stowed

Bm
   A throne from which I’m told

     D
All history does unfold

                Dm
Down here it’s made of wood & wire

        F              C
And my body is on fire

                      Em
And God is never far away

Em
   Into the mercy seat I climb

Em
   My head is shaved, my head is wired

Bm
   And like a moth that tries

   D
To enter the bright eye

      Dm
I go shuffling out of life

         F                   C
Just to hide in death awhile

                    Em
And anyway I never lied
[Verse 4]
Em              Bm
   My kill-hand is called E.V.I.L

Em                 Bm
   Wears a wedding band that’s G.O.O.D

Em              Bm
   ‘Tis a long-suffering shackle

Em                Bm
   Collaring all that rebel blood
[Chorus]
Em
   And the mercy seat is waiting

Em
   And I think my head is burning

Bm
   And in a way I’m yearning

       D                               Dm
To be done with all this measuring of truth
An eye for an eye
                   F
And a tooth for a tooth

                       C
An anyway I told the truth

                      Em
And I’m not afraid to die
[Chorus]
Em
   And the mercy seat is burning

Em
   And I think my head is glowing

Bm
   And in a way I’m hoping

       D                                 Dm
To be done with all this weighing up of truth
An eye for an eye
                   F
And a tooth for a tooth

                              C
And I’ve got nothing left to lose

                      Em
And I’m not afraid to die
[Chorus]
Em
   And the mercy seat is glowing

Em
   And I think my head is smoking

Bm
   And in a way I’m hoping

       D                                Dm
To be done with all these looks of disbelief
An eye for an eye
                   F
And a tooth for a tooth

                          C
And anyway there was no proof

             Em
Nor a motive why
[Chorus]
Em
   And the mercy seat is smoking

Em
   And I think my head is melting

Bm
   And in a way I’m helping

       D                                  Dm
To be done with all this twisting of the truth
A lie for a lie
                    F
And a truth for a truth

                              C
And I’ve got nothing left to lose

                      Em
And I’m not afraid to die
[Chorus]
Em
   And the mercy seat is melting

Em
   And I think my head is boiling

Bm
   And in a way I’m spoiling

         D
All the fun with all this truth and consequence

Dm
   An eye for an eye

                    F
And a truth for a truth

                       C
An anyway I told the truth

                      Em
And I’m not afraid to die
[Chorus]
Em
   And the mercy seat is waiting

Em
   And I think my head is burning

Bm
   And in a way I’m yearning

       D                               Dm
To be done with all this measuring of proof

Dm
   A life for a life

                    F
And a truth for a truth

                          C
And anyway there was no proof

                             Em
But I’m not afraid to tell a lie
[Chorus]
Em
   And the mercy seat is waiting

Em
   And I think my head is burning

Bm
   And in a way I’m yearning

       D                               Dm
To be done with all this measuring of truth.

Dm
   An eye for an eye

                    F
And a truth for a truth

                       C
An anyway I told the truth

                        Em
But I’m afraid I told a lie