Note:  Every version of the Mercy Seat is different and 
       almost infinitely extendable.  The version here is 
       how I play the chords, plus the lyrics that appear 
       in the booklet for the Tender Prey CD (with quite a few changes). 
       In short, this is just an approximation, so choose your own 
       lyrics from the vast selection that appear below. 
       The chords are defined at the end. 
 
 
   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. 
 
   Em         B/E     
   I began to warm and chill 
   Em         B/E     
   To objects and their fields 
   Em              B/E     
   A ragged cup, a twisted mop 
   Em                B/E     
   The face of Jesus in my soup 
   Em             B/E     
   Those sinister dinner deals 
   Em                 B/E     
   The meal trolley's wicked wheels 
   Em            B/E     
   A hooked bone rising from my 
   Em                 B/E     
   food.   All things good or ungood. 
 
   E5 
   And the mercy seat is waiting 
   E5/B     
   And I think my head is burning 
   E5               E5/B     
   And in a way I'm yearning to be 
   D5                 D5/A     
   done with all this measuring of 
   D5                     D5/A     
   truth,   An eye for an eye and a tooth for a 
   F5              F5/C     
   tooth,   And anyway I told the 
   C5               C5/G     
   truth,   And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
   Em        B/E     
   Interpret signs and catalogue 
   Em          B/E     
   A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog 
   Em            B/E     
   The walls are bad.  Black.  Bottom kind. 
   Em           B/E     
   They are the sick breath at my hind 
   Em           B/E     
   They are the sick breath at my hind 
   Em           B/E     
   They are the sick breath at my hind 
   Em           B/E     
   They are the sick breath gathering 
   Em    B/E     
   at my hind. 
 
   E5     E5/B     
   I hear stories from the 
   E5                      E5/B     
   chamber, How Christ was born into a 
   E5                   E5/B     
   manger And like some ragged stranger 
   D5            D5/A     
   Died upon the cross, And might I 
   D5              D5/A     
   say it seems so fitting in its 
   F5           F5/C     
   way He was a carpenter by 
   C5           C5/G     
   trade, Or at least that's what I'm 
   Em        B/E     
   told. 
 
   Em    B/E     
 
   Em    B/E     
   Like my good hand 
   Em         B/E     
   I tattooed E.V.I.L. across it's 
   Em             B/E     
   brother's fist 
   Em          B/E     
   That filthy five! They did 
   Em         B/E     
   nothing to resist. 
 
   E5            E5/B     
   In heaven His throne is made of gold 
   E5             E5/B     
   The ark of His testament is 
   E5                     E5/B     
   stowed,  A throne from which I'm told all 
   D5             D5/A     
   history does unfold, Down here it's 
   D5               D5/A     
   made of wood and wire, And my 
   F5         F5/C     
   body is on fire 
   C5         C5/G     
   And God is never far away. 
 
   Em       B/E     
   Into the mercy seat I climb 
   Em         B/E     
   My head is shaved, my head is 
   Em                 B/E     
   wired,  And like a moth that tries to 
   D5               D5/A     
   enter the bright eye, so I go 
   D5            D5/A     
   shuffling out life,  Just to 
   F5              F5/C     
   hide in death a while 
   C5     C5/G     
   And anyway I never lied. 
 
   Em           B/E     
   My kill-hand is called E.V.I.L. 
   Em              B/E     
   Wears a wedding band that's G.O.O.D. 
   Em          B/E     
   'Tis a long suffering shackle 
   Em                 B/E     
   Collaring all that rebel blood 
 
   E5 
   And the mercy seat is waiting 
   E5/B     
   And I think my head is burning 
   E5               E5/B     
   And in a way I'm yearning to be 
   D5                 D5/A     
   done with all this measuring of 
   D5                     D5/A     
   truth,   An eye for an eye and a tooth for a 
   F5              F5/C     
   tooth,   And anyway I told the 
   C5               C5/G     
   truth,   And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
   E5 
   And the mercy seat is burning 
   E5/B     
   And I think my head is glowing 
   E5               E5/B     
   And in a way I'm hoping to be 
   D5                 D5/A     
   done with all this weighing up of 
   D5                     D5/A     
   truth,   An eye for an eye and a tooth for a 
   F5              F5/C     
   tooth,   And anyway I told the 
   C5               C5/G     
   truth,   And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
   E5 
   And the mercy seat is glowing 
   E5/B     
   And I think my head is smoking 
   E5               E5/B     
   And in a way I'm hoping to be 
   D5                  D5/A     
   done with all these looks of disbeleif 
   D5                D5/A     
       An eye for an eye and a tooth for a 
   F5              F5/C     
   tooth,   And anyway I there was no 
   C5       C5/G     
   proof,   Nor a motive why. 
 
   E5 
   And the mercy seat is smoking 
   E5/B     
   And I think my head is melting 
   E5               E5/B     
   And in a way I'm helping to be 
   D5                 D5/A     
   done with all this twisting of 
   D5                     D5/A     
   truth,   An eye for an eye and a truth for a 
   F5              F5/C     
   truth,   And anyway I told the 
   C5               C5/G     
   truth,   And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
   E5 
   And the mercy seat is melting 
   E5/B     
   And I think my blood is boiling 
   E5               E5/B     
   And in a way I'm spoiling all the 
   D5                D5/A     
   fun with all this truth and consequence 
   D5                D5/A     
       An eye for an eye and a truth for a 
   F5              F5/C     
   truth,   And anyway I told the 
   C5               C5/G     
   truth,   And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
   E5 
   And the mercy seat is waiting 
   E5/B     
   And I think my head is burning 
   E5               E5/B     
   And in a way I'm yearning to be 
   D5                 D5/A     
   done with all this measurement of 
   D5                     D5/A     
   proof,   A lie for a lie and a truth for a 
   F5              F5/C     
   truth,   And anyway there was no 
   C5               C5/G     
   proof,   And I'm not afraid to tell a lie. 
 
   E5 
   And the mercy seat is waiting 
   E5/B     
   And I think my head is burning 
   E5               E5/B     
   And in a way I'm yearning to be 
   D5                 D5/A     
   done with all this measurment of 
   D5                     D5/A     
   proof,   An eye for an eye and a truth for a 
   F5              F5/C     
   truth,   And anyway I told the 
   C5               C5/G     
   truth,   And I'm afraid I told a lie. 
 
 
Chords: 
 
E|-0---0--------0---0-------------------------------------------------- 
B|-0---0--------0---0-------------------------------------------------- 
G|-0---4--------9---9---------7---7---------10--10--------5---5-------- 
D|-2---4--------9---9---------7---7---------10--10--------5---5-------- 
A|-2---2--------7---7---------5---5---------8---8---------3---3-------- 
E|-0---0--------0---7-------------5-------------8-------------3-------- 
   Em  B/E      E5  E5/B      D5  D5/A      F5  F5/C      C5  C5/G