Nick Cave & the bad seeds - The mercy seat
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.
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 meals
The meal trolley's wicked wheels
A hooked bone rising from my food
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 measuring of truth.
An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die.
Interpret signs and catalogue
A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog.
The walls are bad. Black. Bottom kind.
They are sick breath at my hind
They are sick breath at my hind
They are sick breath at my hind
They are sick breath gathering at my hind
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
Like my good hand I
tatooed 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.
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
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.
My kill-hand is called E.V.I.L.
Wears a wedding band that's G.O.O.D.
`Tis a long-suffering shackle
Collaring all that rebel blood.
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 measuring of 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 weighing up of truth.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And I've got nothing left to lose
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 this looks of disbelief.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway there was no proof
Nor a motive why.
And the mercy seat is smoking
And I think my head is melting
And in a way I'm helping
To be done with all this twisted of the truth.
A lie for a lie
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 melting
And I think my blood is boiling
And in a way I'm spoiling
All the fun with all this truth and consequence.
An eye for an eye
And a truth for a truth
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 burning
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of proof.
A life for a life
And a truth for a truth
And anyway there was no proof
But I'm not afraid to tell a lie.
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 measuring of 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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Todo empezó cuando vinieron y me sacaron de mi casa
Y me dejaron aquí en el Corredor de la Muerte
De lo que soy totalmente inocente, ¿sabes?
Y lo diré otra vez
No... tengo. .. miedo ... a... morir
Empecé a reaccionar cálida y fríamente
Ante los objetos y sus campos
Una taza rota, una fregona torcida
El rostro de Jesús en mi sopa
Aquellas siniestras comidas
Las malvadas ruedas del carrito de la comida
Un hueso curvo asomándose en mi plato
Todas las cosas, buenas o no tan buenas
Y la silla de la misericordia está esperando
Y creo que mi cabeza está ardiendo
Y, de alguna manera, anhelo
Acabar con toda esta medida de la verdad
Ojo por ojo, diente por diente
Y, de cualquier manera, dije la verdad
Y no tengo miedo a morir
Interpreto señales y clasifico
Un diente ennegrecido, una neblina escarlata
Las paredes son malvadas y negras
Son un aliento nauseabundo detrás de mí
Son un aliento nauseabundo acercándose detrás de mí
Oigo historias en la cámara
Acerca de cómo Jesús nació en un pesebre
Y como algún extraño haraposo murió en la cruz
Y yo diría que eso parece tan lógico en sí
Su oficio era el de carpintero
O al menos eso es lo que me han contado
Al igual que mi mano buena,
tatué O.D.I.O en su puño hermano
!Esos cinco asquerosos!
No hicieron nada por desafiar o resistir
En el Paraíso, su trono es de oro
Y el Arca de la Alianza está escondido
Un trono en el que,me han dicho, toda la historia es revelada
Aquí abajo está hecho de madera y cables
Y mi cuerpo está ardiendo
Y Dios nunca está lejos
Trepo hasta la silla de la misericordia
Me afeitan la cabeza, ponen cables alrededor de mi cabeza
Y al igual que una polilla que intenta entrar en el ojo resplandeciente
Abandono la vida arrastrando mis pies
Sólo para esconderme en la muerte durante un tiempo
Y, de todas formas, nunca mentí
Mi mano asesina se llama O.D.I.O
lleva puesta un anillo de bodas que es A.M.O.R.
Es un sufrido grillete
que estrangula toda esa sangre rebelde
* Y la silla de la misericordia está esperando (resplandeciendo)
Y creo que mi cabeza está ardiendo (resplandeciendo)(echando humo)
(Y creo que mi sangre está hirviendo)
Y, de alguna manera, anhelo
Acabar con todo esta medida / (debate) de la verdad (evaluación de las pruebas)
(Acabar con todas esas miradas recelosas)
(Y, de alguna manera, estoy arruinando toda la diversión con toda esta verdad y consecuencia)
Ojo por ojo, diente por diente
(mentira por mentira, verdad por verdad)
(vida por vida, verdad por verdad)
Y, de cualquier manera, dije la verdad
(Y, de cualquier manera, no había pruebas ni motivos para hacerlo)
Y no tengo miedo a morir / (y no tengo nada que perder)
(Última frase: pero me temo que he dicho una mentira)