Nick Cave
The Mercy Seat - Live from KCRW
[Verse 1]
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
[Chorus]
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 weighting up of truth
An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth
And anyway, I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die
[Verse 2]
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
[Verse 3]
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
[Bridge 1]
My kill-hand is E.V.I.L
Across it's brother's fist
That filthy five! They did nothing to challenge or resist
[Verse 4]
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
[Bridge 2]
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
[Chorus]
And the mercy seat is-a waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
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
But I'm not afraid to die
And the mercy seat is-a 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 I've got nothing left to lose
But I'm not afraid to die
The mercy seat is smoking
And I think my head is boiling
And in a way I'm spoiling
All the fun by all of this truth and consequence
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway, I told the truth
And I'm afraid, I told a lie
[Spoken: Nick Cave]
Thank you very much!