Mercy Seat
Johnny Cash Lyrics


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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.

Overall Meaning

The song "Mercy Seat" is one of Johnny Cash's most haunting compositions, written by his close friend and frequent collaborator Nick Cave. It is a tale of a man who has been falsely condemned to death row but maintains his innocence, with much of the lyrics focusing on his thoughts and emotions as he faces his impending execution. The song has a strong religious undertone, drawing comparisons between the singer's situation and that of Jesus Christ, as well as exploring themes of guilt, punishment, and redemption.


From the opening lines, the lyrics establish a sense of injustice and helplessness, with the singer proclaiming his innocence and lamenting his situation. As the song progresses, he reflects on his past, his fears, and his hopes, with vivid imagery that adds to the eeriness of the music. The repeated refrain of "And the mercy seat is waiting" adds to the sense of inevitability and foreboding, with the singer both drawn to and repulsed by the prospect of a pardon.


The song's themes and lyrics have been interpreted in various ways, with some seeing it as a commentary on the American justice system, others as a spiritual work grappling with sin and salvation, and still others as a personal exploration of mortality and identity. Whatever the interpretation, "Mercy Seat" stands as one of Johnny Cash's most powerful and evocative recordings, showcasing his ability to imbue even the darkest subject matter with a sense of emotional depth and nuance.


Line by Line Meaning

It all began when they took me from my home
The singer was arrested and taken away from their home.


And put me on Death Row
The singer is on Death Row in prison.


A crime for which I'm totally innocent, you know
The singer claims their innocence.


I began to warm and chill
The artist experiences a range of different emotions.


To objects and their fields
The artist becomes more attuned to the environment around them.


A ragged cup, a twisted mop
The singer takes notice of ordinary objects in their cell.


The face of Jesus in my soup
The singer sees an image of Jesus in their food.


Those sinister dinner deals
The artist questions the source of their food.


The meal trolley's wicked wheels
The artist is distrustful of those who bring food to their cell.


A hooked bone rising from my food
The artist finds something strange in their food.


And all things either good or ungood
The singer sees everything as either good or bad.


And the mercy seat is waiting
The artist is waiting to be executed.


And I think my head is burning
The singer is feeling intense emotions.


And in a way I'm yearning
The singer wants the ordeal to be over.


To be done with all this weighing of the truth
The singer is tired of being judged and scrutinized.


An eye for an eye
The artist wants justice to be served.


And a tooth for a tooth
The artist wants those who wronged them to pay.


And, anyway, I told the truth
The singer maintains their innocence.


And I'm not afraid to die.
The singer is not afraid of facing the consequence of their supposed crimes.


I hear stories from the chamber
The artist hears tales from other Death Row inmates.


Christ was born into a manger
The artist recalls the story of Jesus' birth.


And like some ragged stranger
The artist feels disconnected from others.


He died upon the cross
The singer recalls the crucifixion of Jesus.


Might I say it seems so fitting in its way
The artist finds comfort in the religious symbol of the cross.


He was a carpenter by trade
The singer recalls that Jesus was a carpenter before he became a religious figure.


Or at least that's what I'm told
The singer is not entirely sure about the accuracy of their own knowledge.


My killed hands tattooed E.V.I.L.
The singer has tattoos that make them seem scary.


across it's brother's fist
The artist taunts their imaginary enemies.


That filthy five!
The artist is angry at someone, the 'filthy five.'


They did nothing to challenge or resist
The singer feels betrayed by those who did not speak up for them.


In Heaven His throne is made of gold
The singer's thoughts turn to religious imagery of a golden throne.


The ark of His Testament is stowed
The artist thinks of the religious 'Ark of the Covenant.'


A throne from which I'm told
The artist makes reference to the story of Judgement Day.


All history does unfold.
The artist realizes the importance of the stories we tell about ourselves.


It's made of wood and wire
The singer contrasts their previous image of a golden throne with the mundane reality.


And my body is on fire
The artist is struggling with intense emotions.


And God is never far away
The singer clings to their faith even in their darkest moments.


Into the mercy seat I climb
The singer approaches the moment of execution.


My head is shaved, my head is wired
The singer's appearance is altered for the execution.


And like a moth that tries
The artist feels drawn to the light, even if it means death.


To enter the bright eye
The artist approaches the moment of execution with a sense of curiosity.


I go shuffling out of life
The singer prepares to leave the mortal world behind.


Just to hide in death awhile
The singer is uncertain about what comes after death.


And, anyway, I never lied
The artist maintains their innocence to the end.


And the mercy seat is burning
The artist approaches the moment of execution with fear and trepidation.


And in a way I'm hoping
The artist is prepared to accept what comes next.


To be done with all this twistin' of the truth
The singer feels victimized by those who distorted the truth to convict them.


And, anyway, there was no proof
The artist believes that they were wrongfully convicted.


And I'm not afraid to die
The singer is resigned to their fate.


And the mercy seat is glowing
The singer is ready to face their fate with dignity and courage.


And I think my head is smokin'
The singer acknowledges their fear.


And in a way I'm hoping
The artist finds comfort in their beliefs.


To be done with all these looks of disbelief.
The artist is tired of being doubted and disbelieved.


A life for a life
The singer believes in the principle of justice.


And a truth for a truth
The singer wants the truth to be known.


And I've got nothing left to lose
The artist has accepted their fate.


And I'm not afraid to die
The artist is at peace with their situation.


And the mercy seat is smokin'
The artist is ready to face their punishment.


And I think my head is melting
The singer senses their death is imminent.


And in a way that's helping
The artist is at peace with their fate.


To be done with all this twistin' of the truth
The singer is frustrated with a justice system that has failed them.


And, anyway, I told the truth
The singer asserts their innocence one last time.


But I'm afraid I told a lie.
The singer is uncertain about the outcome of their trial.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Nicholas Edward Cave, Mick Harvey

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Alex Deremo

Lyrics:

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



Cetshwayo Kampande

I am an old man. My eternal destination is around the corner. I already gave my life to Christ (Romans 10:9-10). Too many regrets; I wish I knew Christ sooner. I argued over stupid garbage: politics, race, imagined sleights, letting fleeting emotions govern my decisions, and etc. What fruit can I bring to Lord Jesus in the end? I ask this of myself as anyone reading this should ask of themselves. King Solomon said it best, "13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil. (ECCLESIASTES 12:13-14)
Don't hesitate, come to Christ; don't be ashamed any longer. HE loves you. Without HIM you can only fail or succeed miserably. What good is it gain the world but lose your soul? (MATTHEW 16:26)
Please, don't go shuffling out of life without securing eternal life and accepting Lord Jesus gift of salvation. Someone is reading this comment. I hope I have touched your heart. Amen.



All comments from YouTube:

58maple

Hats off to Nick Cave for writing this masterpiece. But I must say, Johnny Cash sang it like it was his own! The lyrics are haunting, all the pleading innocent in the chorus until his very last words in the song ..."but I'm afraid I told a lie"'.

Michael Carder

58maple once Jonny cash sings you song it is no longer yours

FRACTURED VISION

He says over and over he told the truth, then ends with he told a lie.
Every man in jail is innocent, they say, when you ask them...
In the end... he got real
Outstanding lyrics. Simple, straight, bold, cold and earnest like a spike driven straight through a man's soul.

Bad Wulff

@FRACTURED VISION My interpretation of that is more because he 'told a lie' about 'not [being] afraid to die', since he's about to die (this is the last line) and this is a line that's in the same spot as 'I'm not afraid to die' in the previous verses (and the previous line is still "and anyway I told the truth"). So no, I think this song really is about someone innocent being wrongly convicted and sentenced to death.

Gavin Marriott

@Lord Teabo Baggins it's a close call, i can't decide, depends on the mood. NC is more raw but JC is more melancholic, but NC wrote the master piece so he wins the chicken diner.

18 More Replies...

Imme

I’m at this point begging for a big movie to use this song in its soundtrack. It would be perfect for a finale. It deserves so much more!

Belinda Smith

Johnny could make any song his own. He appealed to all age groups and genres. Unique.

Tiny Tim

Yeah man I'm 11 and I think he's the best singer ever

Keaton Richard

Honestly this song hits me harder than "Hurt"

"I go shuffling out of life, just to hide in death awhile"

Speaker of Truth

I find that hurt is extremely overrated while this song is pretty much ignored

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