The Mercy Seat Tabulatur von Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds

(Am)It all began when they (Em7)took me from my (Am)home
And put me on (Em7)Death Row,
(Am)A crime for which I am (Em7)totally innocent, you (Am)know. (Em7)

(Am)I began to (Em7)warm and chill
(Am)To objects (Em7)and their fields,
(Am)A ragged (Em7)cup, a twisted (Am)mop
The face of (Em7)Jesus in my (Am)soup
Those sinister (Em7)dinner deals
(Am)The meal trolley's (Em7)wicked wheels
(Am)A hooked bone (Em7)rising from my (Am)food
And all things (Em7)either good or un(Am)good.

And the mercy seat is waiting
(Am+7)And I think my head is burning
(Am7)And in a way (C)I'm yearning
To be (G)done with all this weighing of the (Gm)truth.
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a (Bb)tooth
And anyway I told the (F)truth
And I'm not afraid to (Am)die. (Em7)(Am)(Em7)

(Am)I hear stories from the (Am+7)chamber
Christ was born into a (Am7)manger
And like some (C)ragged stranger
He (G)died upon the cross
Might I (Gm)say it seems so fitting in its (Bb)way
He was a carpenter by (F)trade
Or at least that's what I'm (Am)told (Em7) (Am)(Em7)

(Am)My kill hand's (Em7)tatooed E.V.I.L.
(Am)Across it's (Em7)brother's fist
(Am)That filthy (Em7)five!
They did (Am)nothing to challenge or re(Em7)sist.

(Am)In Heaven His throne is made of (Am+7)gold
The ark of his Testament is (Am7)stowed
A throne from (C)which I'm told
All (G)history does unfold.
It's (Gm)made of wood and wire
And my (Bb)body is on fire
(F)And God is never far (Am)away.

Into the mercy seat (Am+7)I climb
My head is shaved, my head is (Am7)wired
And like a (C)moth that tries
To (G)enter the bright eye
I go (Gm)shuffling out of life
Just to (Bb)hide in death awhile
(F)And anyway I never (Am)lied.

(Am)And the mercy seat is waiting
(Am+7)And I think my head is burning
(Am7)And in a way I'm (C)yearning
To be (G)done with all this weighing of the (Gm)truth.
(Gm)An eye for an eye and a tooth for a (Bb)tooth
And anyway I told the (F)truth
And I'm not afraid to (Am)die.

(Am)And the mercy seat is burning
(Am+7)And I think my head is glowing
(Am7)And in a way I'm (C)hoping
To be (G)done with all this twisting of the(Gm) truth.
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a (Bb)tooth
And anyway there was no (F)proof
And I'm not afraid to (Am)die.

(Am)And the mercy seat is glowing
(Am+7)And I think my head is smoking
(Am7)And in a way I'm (C)hoping
To be (G)done with all these looks of disbe(Gm)lief.
A life for a life and a truth for a (Bb)truth
And I've got nothing left to (F)lose
And I'm not afraid to (Am)die.

(Am)And the mercy seat is smoking
(Am+7)And I think my head is melting
(Am7)And in a way that's (C)helping
To be (G)done with all this twisting of the (Gm)truth.
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a  (Bb)tooth
And anyway I told the (F)truth
But I'm afraid I told a (Am)lie.