Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The mercy seat - live from kcrw lyrics

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 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 that are good or ungood 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 measuring of proof An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth And I'm not afraid to die Interpret signs and catalogue A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog The walls are bad. Black. Bottom kind They are sick breath at my hind They are sick breath at my hind They are sick breath at my hind They are sick breath gathering at my hind 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's so fitting in its way He was a carpenter by trade Or at least that's what I'm told Like my good hand Tattooed E.V.I.L. across it's brother's fist That filthy five! They did nothing to challenge or resist 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 Into the mercy seat I climb My head is shaved, my head is wired And like a moth that tries To enter the bright eye So I go shuffling out of life Just to hide in d**h awhile And anyway I never lied My k**-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 devil blood And the mercy seat is a-burning And I think my head is flowing 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 And I'm not afraid to die And the mercy seat is growin' And I think my head is a meltin' And in a way I'm helpin' To be done with all this twistin' of the truth An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway, I saw no proof And nor a motive why The mercy seat is a meltin' And I think my blood is boilin' And in a way I'm spoiling all the fun With all this consequence and truth An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And I've got nothing left to lose And I'm not afraid to die Now the mercy seat is waiting And I think my head is burnin' And in a way I'm yearning To be done with all this measuring of proof An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway, there was no proof And nor a motive why 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 measuring of proof An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway, there was no proof And I'm not afraid to die And the mercy seat is waiting And I think my head is smokin' And in a way I'm hoping To be done with all these looks of disbelief A eye for a eye And a tooth for a tooth But anyway, I told the truth But I'm not afraid to die 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 measuring of proof An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway, there was no proof And I'm not afraid to die 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 measuring of proof An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway, there was no proof And I'm not afraid to die 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 measuring of proof An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway, there was no proof But I'm not afraid to lie 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 measuring of proof An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway, there was no proof But I'm not afraid to lie 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 measuring of proof An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway, there was no proof And I'm afraid I told a lie