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The Mercy Seat Chords by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

The Mercy Seat chords by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Guitar chords with lyrics

  • Difficulty: Beginner 👶
Key: Em

Intro:

N.C.
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

Verse 1:
Em             Bm
   I began to warm and chill
Em             Bm
   To objects and their fields,
Em              Bm
   A ragged cup, a twisted mop
Em                   Bm
   The face of Jesus in my soup
Em                Bm
   Those sinister dinner meals
Em                     Bm
   The meal trolley’s wicked wheels
Em               Bm             Em
   A hooked bone rising from my food
     Bm
All things either good or ungood
🎸
Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -
Chorus:
Em
   And the mercy seat is waiting
Em
   And I think my head is burning
Bm
   And in a way I’m yearning
       D                               Dm
To be done with all this measuring of truth
An eye for an eye
               F
A tooth for a tooth
                       C
An anyway I told the truth
                      Em
And I’m not afraid to die

Verse 2:
Em            Bm
   Interpret signs and catalogue
Em              Bm
   A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog
Em               Bm
   The walls are bad, black bottom kind
Em               Bm
   They are the sick breath at my hind
Em               Bm
   They are the sick breath at my hind
Em               Bm
   They are the sick breath at my hind
Em               Bm                   Em        Bm
   They are the sick breath gathering    at my hind

Chorus:
Em
   I hear stories from the chamber
Em
   How Christ was born into a manger
Bm
   And like some ragged stranger
 D
Died upon the cross
             Dm                             F
And might I say it seems so fitting in its way
                        C
He was a carpenter by trade
                             Em
Or at least that’s what I’m told.

Verse 3:
Em      Bm
   Like my good hand I
         Em                     Bm
Tattooed E.V.I.L. across it’s brother’s fist
Em                   Bm
   That filthy five!    They did nothing
     Em           Bm
To challenge or resist

Chorus:
Em
   In Heaven His throne is made of gold
Em
   The ark of His testament is stowed
Bm
   A throne from which I’m told
     D
All history does unfold
                Dm
Down here it’s made of wood & wire
        F              C
And my body is on fire
                      Em
And God is never far away
Em
   Into the mercy seat I climb
Em
   My head is shaved, my head is wired
Bm
   And like a moth that tries
   D
To enter the bright eye
      Dm
I go shuffling out of life
         F                   C
Just to hide in death awhile
                    Em
And anyway I never lied

Verse 4:
Em              Bm
   My kill-hand is called E.V.I.L
Em                 Bm
   Wears a wedding band that’s G.O.O.D
Em              Bm
   ‘Tis a long-suffering shackle
Em                Bm
   Collaring all that rebel blood

Chorus:
Em
   And the mercy seat is waiting
Em
   And I think my head is burning
Bm
   And in a way I’m yearning
       D                               Dm
To be done with all this measuring of truth
An eye for an eye
                   F
And a tooth for a tooth
                       C
An anyway I told the truth
                      Em
And I’m not afraid to die

Chorus:
Em
   And the mercy seat is burning
Em
   And I think my head is glowing
Bm
   And in a way I’m hoping
       D                                 Dm
To be done with all this weighing up of truth
An eye for an eye
                   F
And a tooth for a tooth
                              C
And I’ve got nothing left to lose
                      Em
And I’m not afraid to die

Chorus:
Em
   And the mercy seat is glowing
Em
   And I think my head is smoking
Bm
   And in a way I’m hoping
       D                                Dm
To be done with all these looks of disbelief
An eye for an eye
                   F
And a tooth for a tooth
                          C
And anyway there was no proof
             Em
Nor a motive why

Chorus:
Em
   And the mercy seat is smoking
Em
   And I think my head is melting
Bm
   And in a way I’m helping
       D                                  Dm
To be done with all this twisting of the truth
A lie for a lie
                    F
And a truth for a truth
                              C
And I’ve got nothing left to lose
                      Em
And I’m not afraid to die

Chorus:
Em
   And the mercy seat is melting
Em
   And I think my head is boiling
Bm
   And in a way I’m spoiling
         D
All the fun with all this truth and consequence
Dm
   An eye for an eye
                    F
And a truth for a truth
                       C
An anyway I told the truth
                      Em
And I’m not afraid to die

Chorus:
Em
   And the mercy seat is waiting
Em
   And I think my head is burning
Bm
   And in a way I’m yearning
       D                               Dm
To be done with all this measuring of proof
Dm
   A life for a life
                    F
And a truth for a truth
                          C
And anyway there was no proof
                             Em
But I’m not afraid to tell a lie

Chorus:
Em
   And the mercy seat is waiting
Em
   And I think my head is burning
Bm
   And in a way I’m yearning
       D                               Dm
To be done with all this measuring of truth.
Dm
   An eye for an eye
                    F
And a truth for a truth
                       C
An anyway I told the truth
                        Em
But I’m afraid I told a lie

Published:

Last updated:

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds chords for The mercy seat

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Learn how to play "The Mercy Seat" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds with our easy-to-follow guide. Build confidence, sharpen your technique, and enjoy playing guitar.

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