"The Mercy Seat (Acoustic Version)" lyrics - NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS

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

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 the moth that tries
To enter the bright eye
So 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

[Chorus:]
And the mercy seat is-a waiting
And I think my head is-a burning
In a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring 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-a burning
And I think my head is-a 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 anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die

And the mercy seat is-a glowing
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
And anyway there was no prrof
Nor a motive why

And the mercy seat is-a melting
And I think my blood is-a boiling
And in a way I'm spoiling
All the fun with all this consequence 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