Lyrics The Mercy Seat - Live from KCRW - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

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

And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
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
And I'm not afraid to die

Interpret sign and catalogue
A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog
The walls are bad, black, bottom kind
They are the sick breath at my hind

And 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

My kill-hand is evil
Across his brother's fist
That filthy five!
Did nothing to challenge or resist

In Heaven His throne is made of gold
And 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

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 waitin'
And I think my head is burnin'
In a way I'm yearnin'
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
And I'm not afraid to die

And the mercy seat is burnin'
And I think my head is glowing
In a way I'm a-hopin'
To be done with all this weighin' 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 boiling
In a way it's spoilin' all the fun
With all this truth and consequence
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

Thank you very much