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The Mercy Seat

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds

Text File

#----------------------------------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. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 1995 01:07:48 +0800 (WST)
From: "Greg O'Beirne" 
Subject: CRD: "The Mercy Seat" by Nick Cave

----------------------------------------------
 The Mercy Seat  -  Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
----------------------------------------------
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.

   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
woyf@perth.dialix.oz.au
gobeirne@tartarus.uwa.edu.au
http://www.uwa.edu.au/student/gobeirne/