The Mercy Seat Uke tab by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds

9 Chords used in the song: Am, Em7, Am+7, Am7, C, G, Gm, Bb, F

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Tablature / Chords (Full Song)

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Album: 
Year:  1988
Difficulty: 
3
(Beginner)
Key: unknownChords
(Am Am)It all began when they (Em7 Em7)took me from my (Am Am)home
And put me on (Em7 Em7)Death Row,
(Am Am)A A crime for which I am (Em7 Em7)totally innocent, you (Am Am)know. (Em7 Em7)

(Am Am)I began to (Em7 Em7)warm and chill
(Am Am)To objects (Em7 Em7)and their fields,
(Am Am)A A ragged (Em7 Em7)cup, a twisted (Am Am)mop
The face of (Em7 Em7)Jesus in my (Am Am)soup
Those sinister (Em7 Em7)dinner deals
(Am Am)The meal trolley's (Em7 Em7)wicked wheels
(Am Am)A A hooked bone (Em7 Em7)rising from my (Am Am)food
And all things (Em7 Em7)either good or un(Am Am)good.

And the mercy seat is waiting
(Am+7 Am+7)And I think my head is burning
(Am7 Am7)And in a way (C C)I'm yearning
To be (G G)done with all this weighing of the (Gm Gm)truth.
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a (Bb Bb)tooth
And anyway I told the (F F)truth
And I'm not afraid to (Am Am)die. (Em7 Em7)(Am Am)(Em7 Em7)

(Am Am)I hear stories from the (Am+7 Am+7)chamber
Christ was born into a (Am7 Am7)manger
And like some (C C)ragged stranger
He (G G)died upon the cross
Might I (Gm Gm)say it seems so fitting in its (Bb Bb)way
He was a carpenter by (F F)trade
Or at least that's what I'm (Am Am)told (Em7 Em7) (Am Am)(Em7 Em7)

(Am Am)My kill hand's (Em7 Em7)tatooed E E.V.I.L.
(Am Am)Across it's (Em7 Em7)brother's fist
(Am Am)That filthy (Em7 Em7)five!
They did (Am Am)nothing to challenge or re(Em7 Em7)sist.

(Am Am)In Heaven His throne is made of (Am+7 Am+7)gold
The ark of his Testament is (Am7 Am7)stowed
A A throne from (C C)which I'm told
All (G G)history does unfold.
It's (Gm Gm)made of wood and wire
And my (Bb Bb)body is on fire
(F F)And God is never far (Am Am)away.

Into the mercy seat (Am+7 Am+7)I climb
My head is shaved, my head is (Am7 Am7)wired
And like a (C C)moth that tries
To (G G)enter the bright eye
I go (Gm Gm)shuffling out of life
Just to (Bb Bb)hide in death awhile
(F F)And anyway I never (Am Am)lied.

(Am Am)And the mercy seat is waiting
(Am+7 Am+7)And I think my head is burning
(Am7 Am7)And in a way I'm (C C)yearning
To be (G G)done with all this weighing of the (Gm Gm)truth.
(Gm Gm)An eye for an eye and a tooth for a (Bb Bb)tooth
And anyway I told the (F F)truth
And I'm not afraid to (Am Am)die.

(Am Am)And the mercy seat is burning
(Am+7 Am+7)And I think my head is glowing
(Am7 Am7)And in a way I'm (C C)hoping
To be (G G)done with all this twisting of the(Gm Gm) truth.
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a (Bb Bb)tooth
And anyway there was no (F F)proof
And I'm not afraid to (Am Am)die.

(Am Am)And the mercy seat is glowing
(Am+7 Am+7)And I think my head is smoking
(Am7 Am7)And in a way I'm (C C)hoping
To be (G G)done with all these looks of disbe(Gm Gm)lief.
A A life for a life and a truth for a (Bb Bb)truth
And I've got nothing left to (F F)lose
And I'm not afraid to (Am Am)die.

(Am Am)And the mercy seat is smoking
(Am+7 Am+7)And I think my head is melting
(Am7 Am7)And in a way that's (C C)helping
To be (G G)done with all this twisting of the (Gm Gm)truth.
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a (Bb Bb)tooth
And anyway I told the (F F)truth
But I'm afraid I told a (Am Am)lie.

Uke tab by , 09 Feb 2010

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About this song: The Mercy Seat

"The Mercy Seat" is a song written by Nick Cave (lyrics and music) and Mick Harvey (music), originally performed by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on the 1988 "Tender Prey" album. The song tells the story of a man about to be executed by the electric chair. The "Mercy Seat" refers both to the throne of God in the heavens, which the man feels he will soon visit, and to the electric chair. The phrase "the mercy seat" is a reference to Milton's Paradise Lost and the song is laden with allusions to Christianity.

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