The Mercy Seat (2010 Remastered Version) - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

It all began when they took me from my home And put me on death row A crime for which I am totally innocent, you know 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 And 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 weighing of the 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 I hear stories from the chamber Christ was born into a manger And like some ragged stranger He died upon the cross 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's Tattooed 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 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 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 weighing of the 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 burning And I think my head is glowing And in a way I'm hopin' To be done with all this twisting of the truth An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And any way there was no proof And I'm not afraid to die And the mercy seat is glowing And I think my head is smoking And in a way I'm hoping To be done with all these looks of disbelief A life for a life 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 smoking And I think my head is melting And in a way that's helping To be done with all this twisting of the truth An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And any way I told the truth But I'm afraid I told a lie

It was the dirty end of winter Along the loom of the land When I walked with sweet Sally Hand upon hand And the wind it bit bitter For a boy of no means With no shoes on his feet And a knife in his jeans Along the loom of the land The mission bells peeled From the tower at Saint Mary's Down to Reprobate Fields And I saw that the world Was all blessed and bright And Sally breathed softly In the majestic night O baby, please don't cry And try to keep Your little hand upon my shoulder Now go to sleep Well the elms and the poplars Were all turning their backs Past the rumbling station We followed the trains We found an untrodden path And followed it down The moon in the sky Like a dislodged crown And my hands they burned In the folds of her coat Breathing milky white air From deep in her throat O baby, please don't cry And try to keep Your little head upon my shoulder Now go to sleep I told Sally in whispers I'll never bring you harm Her breast, it was small And warm in my palm I told her that the moon Was a magical thing It shone gold in the winter And silver in spring And we walked and walked Across the endless sands Just me and my Sally Along the loom of the land O baby, please don't cry And try to keep Your little head upon my shoulder Now try to sleep O baby, please don't cry And don't you weep Lay your head upon my shoulder Now try to sleep

Go son, go down to the water And see the women weeping there Then go up into the mountains The men, they are weeping too Father, why are all the women weeping? They are weeping for their men Then why are all the men there weeping? They are weeping back at them This is a weeping song A song in which to weep While all the men and women sleep This is a weeping song But I won't be weeping long Father, why are all the children weeping? They are merely crying son Oh, are they merely crying, father? Yes, true weeping is yet... to come This is a weeping song A song in which to weep While all the men and women sleep This is a weeping song But I won't be weeping long Oh father, tell me are you weeping? Your face seems wet to touch Oh, then I'm so sorry, father I never thought I hurt you so much This is a weeping song A song in which to weep While we rock ourselves to sleep This is a weeping song But I won't be weeping long But I won't be weeping long But I won't be weeping long But I won't be weeping long

Sorrow's child sits by the river Sorrow's child hears not the water Sorrow's child sits by the river Sorrow's child hears not the water And just when it seems as though You've got strength enough to stand Sorrow's child all weak and strange Stands waiting at your hand Sorrow's child steps in the water Sorrow's child you follow after Sorrow's child wades in deeper Sorrow's child invites you under And just when you thought as though All your tears were wept and done Sorrow's child grieves not what has passed But all the past still yet to come Sorrow's child sits by the water Sorrow's child your arms enfold her Sorrow's child you're loathe to befriend her Sorrow's child but in sorrow surrender And just when is seems as though All your tears were at an end Sorrow's child lifts up her hand And she brings it down again

Alright, George I began to warm and chill To objects and their fields A ragged cup and 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 awaiting And I think my head is a burning In a way I'm yearning to be done With all this weight of the 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 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 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 tattooed "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 Into the mercy seat I climb My head is shaved, my head is wired Like a 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 "Evil" Wears a wedding band that's good 'Tis a long-suffering shackle Collaring all that rebel blood And the mercy seat is awaiting And I think my head is a-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've told the truth And I'm not afraid to die And the mercy seat is waiting And I think my head is melting In a way it's helping to be done With all this locks of disbelief 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 boiling In a way that's spoiling all of thongs By all these locks of disbelief An eye for a eye and a tooth for a tooth And anyway, I told the truth And I'm not afraid to die Now the mercy seat is waiting And I think my head is burning In a way I'm yearning to be done With all these looks of disbelief A lie for a lie and a truth for a truth And anyway, there was no clue And I'm afraid I told a lie

(I had a dream) I had a dream (I had a dream) I had a dream (I had a dream) I had a dream, Joe I had a dream, Joe You were standing in the middle of an open road I had a dream, Joe Your hands were raised up to the sky And your mouth was covered in foam I had a dream, Joe A shadowy Jesus, He flitted from tree to tree I had a dream, Joe The society of whores stuck needles in an image of me I had a dream, Joe It was Autumn time and thickly fell the leaves And in that dream, Joe A pimp in a seersucker suit sucked a toothpick And pointed his finger at me (I had a dream) I had a dream (I had a dream) I had a dream (I had a dream) I had a dream, Joe I opened my eyes, Joe The night had been a giant, dribbling and pacing the boards I opened my eyes, Joe All your letters and cards all stacked up against the door I opened my eyes, Joe And the morning light came slowly tumbling through the crack In the window, Joe And I thought of you and I felt like I was lugging A body on my back (I had a dream) I had a dream (I had a dream) I had a dream (I had a dream) I had a dream, Joe (Where did you go, Joe?) On that endless, on that senseless, on that demented drift (Where did you go, Joe?) Was it into the woods, was it into the trees, where you move and shift (Where did you go, Joe?) All dressed up in your ridiculous seersucker suit (Where did you go, Joe?) With that strew of wreckage Forever at the heel of your boot (I had a dream) I had a dream (I had a dream) I had a dream (I had a dream) I had a dream, Joe (I had a dream) I had a dream (I had a dream) I had a dream (I had a dream) I had a dream, Joe (I had a dream) (I had a dream) (I had a dream, Joe)

Down in the willow garden, me and my love did meet And as we sat a-courting, my love fell off to sleep I had a bottle of burgundy wine; my love, she did not know And so I poisoned that dear little girl along the banks below Along the banks below I drew my saber through her; it was a bloody night I threw her in the river, which was a dreadful sight My father often told me that money would set me free And so I murdered that dear little girl whose name was Rose Connelly Whose name was Rose Connelly My father sits at his cabin door wiping his tear-dimmed eyes His only son soon should walk to yonder scaffold high My race is run beneath the sun; the scaffold now waits for me For I did murder that dear little girl whose name was Rose Connelly Whose name was Rose Connelly Whose name was Rose Connelly

I was riding, I was riding home The sun, the sun, the sun was rising from the field I got a feeling I just can't shake I got a feeling that just won't go away You've got to just keep on pushing Keep on pushing it Push the sky away And if your friends think that you should do it different And if they think that you should do it the same You've got to just keep on pushing Keep on pushing Push the sky away And if you feel you got everything you came for If you got everything and you don't want no more You've got to just keep on pushing Keep on pushing Push the sky away Some people say it's just rock and roll Oh but it gets you right down to your soul You've got to just keep on pushing Keep on pushing Push the sky away You've got to just keep on pushing Keep on pushing Push the sky away