Mercy Seat
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Nick Cave
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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 meals The meal trolley's wicked wheels A hooked bone rising from my food All things either 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 truth An eye for an eye 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 seems so fitting in its way He was a carpenter by trade Or at least that's what I'm told Like my good hand I Tatooed 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 I go shuffling out of life Just to hide in death awhile And anyway I never lied 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 And the mercy seat is 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 And I'm not afraid to die And the mercy seat is smoking And I think my head is melting And in a way I'm helping To be done with all this twisted of the truth A lie for a lie And a truth for a truth And anyway, I saw no proof And not a motive why And the mercy seat is melting And I think my blood is boiling And in a way I'm spoiling All the fun by all this consequence of truth An eye for an eye And a truth for a truth And I've got nothing left to lose 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 not 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 I told the truth 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 A lie for a lie And a truth for a truth 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 smoking And in a way I'm hoping To be done with all these looks of disbelief An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth But anyway I told the truth And I'm not afraid to die 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 measuring of proof Of an eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth And I'm not afraid to die 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 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 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 measuring of proof Of an eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth And I'm not afraid to die 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 measuring of proof Of an eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth 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 Of an eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth But I'm not afraid to lie 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 measuring of proof Of an eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth But I'm not afraid to lie 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 measuring of proof Of an eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And anyway I told the truth But I'm afraid I told a lie
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Written by: Nicholas Edward Cave, Mick Harvey
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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14 facts about this song
Artists"The Mercy Seat" was initially written and performed by the Australian rock band Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.
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Cover PerformanceLegendary country singer Johnny Cash later covered the song for his 2000 album "American III: Solitary Man", which was met with widespread acclaim.
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Literary ReferenceThe song's title, "The Mercy Seat", is a biblical reference to the golden lid of the Ark of the Covenant, which symbolizes God's divine presence.
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Song ThemeBoth versions of "The Mercy Seat" depict a protagonist facing execution and maintaining his innocence until the end.
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Song Structure"The Mercy Seat" is known for its repetitive, chant-like structure, which enhances the song's intense and ominous atmosphere.
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Critical Acclaim for CaveRolling Stone listed Nick Cave's "The Mercy Seat" as one of the 100 greatest songs of the 80s.
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Critical Acclaim for CashJohnny Cash's cover of the song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 2001.
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InterpretationNick Cave has described the song as “a sort of God continuum, the ultimate divine decision”.
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Live PerformancesDespite its dark storyline, "The Mercy Seat" has become a staple song during Cave's live performances.
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Music VideoThe music video for Nick Cave's version was directed by Nigel Rolfe and features Cave sitting on an electric chair.
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Use in MediaJohnny Cash's cover of "The Mercy Seat" has been featured in a handful of TV series, such as "Daredevil" and "Person of Interest".
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PopularityCash's cover of the song has garnered over 11 million listens on Spotify as of September 2021.
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Album PerformanceCash's album "American III: Solitary Man", which includes his cover of "The Mercy Seat", peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200.
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LegacyNick Cave has expressed that he believes Johnny Cash's version of "The Mercy Seat" to be "unimprovable upon."
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"Mercy Seat Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/25786425/Nick+Cave/Mercy+Seat>.
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