The Mercy Seat
Johnny Cash
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It all began when they took me from my home And put me on Death Row A crime for which I'm 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 killed hands 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 hoping To be done with all this twistin' of the truth An eye for an eye And a tooth for a tooth And, anyway, there was no proof And I'm not afraid to die And the mercy seat is glowing And I think my head is smokin' 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 smokin' And I think my head is melting And in a way that's helping To be done with all this twistin' of the truth An eye for an eye And a truth for a truth And, anyway, I told the truth But I'm afraid I told a lie.
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Written by: Nicholas Edward Cave, Mick Harvey
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
11 facts about this song
Song Origin"The Mercy Seat" was originally written and performed by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds for their 1988 album, "Tender Prey".
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Johnny Cash CoverLegendary country singer Johnny Cash covered the song on his 2000 album, "American III: Solitary Man". His version was produced by Rick Rubin, who ironically was not a fan of Cash's cover initially.
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Song ThemeThe song tells the story of a man on death row who maintains his innocence even as he awaits his execution in the electric chair, also known as the "mercy seat".
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Cave's Praise for Cash CoverNick Cave himself called Johnny Cash's cover "enormously moving", and even wrote in the liner notes for the reissue of "Tender Prey" that Cash's interpretation was the "definitive" version.
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Song Structure"The Mercy Seat" is known for its complex structure which includes repeating motifs, intensifying layers of music and tension-building lyrics.
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Live PerformancesThe song has become a staple in Nick Cave's live performances, often being extended to over seven minutes with improvisational segments.
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Lyrics OriginationCave has explained that the song was inspired by a line in the Leonard Cohen song, "Avalanche", which goes, "He calls me through the music of his charms. They call me to his court."
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Acclaim"The Mercy Seat" is often cited as one of Nick Cave's best songs. Among Cash's covers of modern songs, it is considered one of his finest.
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Song PropThe song became so synonymous with Nick Cave that he had a special chair, dubbed the "Mercy Seat", designed as a prop for his tours.
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Music VideoThe song's original music video was directed by Nigel Rolfe and featured Cave singing while the rest of the band played in relative darkness.
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Biblical ReferencesThe term "mercy seat" appears in the English Bible, where it refers to the lid of the Ark of the Covenant. This reference aligns with the song's themes of guilt, atonement, and divine judgment.
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