The Mercy Seat

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The Mercy Seat - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

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transcribed by Greg O'Beirne (gobeirne@tartarus.uwa.edu.au)

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

woyf@perth.dialix.oz.au

gobeirne@tartarus.uwa.edu.au

http://www.uwa.edu.au/student/gobeirne/