The Mercy Seat
Stromkern Lyrics


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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

Overall Meaning

The Mercy Seat by Stromkern is a song that delves into the mind of someone waiting on death row. It starts with the singer recounting the time when they were taken from their home and imprisoned for a crime they did not commit. Despite their innocence, they are not afraid to die. The imagery used in the song is vivid and at times surreal. The singer describes how they begin to see the world differently as they await their execution. Objects around them take on different meanings, and even the most mundane things become sinister. The meal trolley's wheels that bring their food become wicked, and the bone in their food becomes hooked.


The song contemplates the concept of justice, specifically the idea of an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth. The singer insists they have done nothing wrong and have told the truth. They long for the mercy seat, which is a symbol of both redemption and punishment. They know that they will soon face the consequences of their actions, whether just or not, and they are ready to face the truth.


The song is a haunting and introspective journey into the mind of someone facing their own mortality. It explores the themes of innocence, guilt, justice, truth, and redemption.


Line by Line Meaning

It began when they come took me from my home
The singer recounts the beginning of their wrongful imprisonment and how they were taken away from their home.


And put me in dead row,
The singer was placed on death row for a crime they did not commit.


Of which I am nearly wholly innocent, you know.
The singer asserts that they are almost entirely innocent of the crime they have been accused of.


And I'll say it again
The artist repeats their declaration of innocence.


I... am... not... afraid... to... die.
The artist is not afraid of death and accepts that it may be coming for them.


I began to warm and chill
The singer's emotions and sensations started fluctuating.


To objects and their fields,
The singer felt an attachment to various things they encountered.


A ragged cup, a twisted mop
The artist felt an emotional connection to simple and often overlooked objects like a ragged cup or a twisted mop.


The face of Jesus in my soup
The artist found religious imagery in their food.


Those sinister dinner meals
The artist considers the meals they were given to be sinister and unwelcome.


The meal trolley's wicked wheels
The singer finds the meal trolley's wheels to be ominous or wicked in some way.


A hooked bone rising from my food
The artist finds a bone in their meal that has some kind of hook or barb on it.


All things either good or ungood.
The singer sees all things as either good or bad, with no in-between.


And the mercy seat is waiting
The singer references a mercy seat waiting for them, which could be interpreted as death.


And I think my head is burning
The singer is experiencing some kind of overwhelming sensation in their head.


And in a way I'm yearning
The artist is expressing a sense of longing or desire.


To be done with all this measuring of truth.
The artist is tired of constantly having the truth scrutinized or questioned.


An eye for an eye
The singer references the concept of retribution and getting what is owed.


A tooth for a tooth
The singer is referencing an old adage of getting even or receiving what has been taken from them.


And anyway I told the truth
The artist repeats that they have been honest and truthful throughout their ordeal.


Interpret signs and catalogue
The artist discusses interpreting signs that have been presented to them.


A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog.
The artist describes specific signs they've seen, including a blackened tooth and scarlet fog.


The walls are bad. black. bottom kind.
The singer complains about the walls of their prison, describing them as dark and unpleasant.


They are sick breath at my hind
The walls are a constant and unpleasant reminder of the artist's situation.


They are sick breath gathering at my hind
The walls seem to be closing in on the singer, making their situation even worse.


I hear stories from the chamber
The singer is hearing stories from another part of their prison or detention center.


How Christ was born into a manger
The singer is hearing stories of Jesus' birth in a manger.


And like some ragged stranger
The artist compares Jesus to a poor, unknown person or outsider.


Died upon the cross
The artist references Jesus' crucifixion.


And might I say it seems so fitting in its way
The singer is contemplating how Jesus' life and death is fitting in some way.


He was a carpenter by trade
The singer references Jesus' occupation.


Or at least that's what I'm told
The artist acknowledges that they don't have full knowledge of Jesus' life and history.


like my good hand I
The artist compares themselves to Jesus, specifically their good hand.


Tatooed e.v.i.l. across it's brother's fist
The artist has written 'evil' on their own hand and their brother's hand in a way that suggests unity.


That filthy five! they did nothing to challenge or resist.
The singer references 'the filthy five', suggesting that they did nothing to help or resist their current situation.


in heaven his throne is made of gold
The artist talks about how gold is associated with heaven, and how Jesus' throne would be made of gold.


The ark of his testament is stowed
The singer references the Ark of the Covenant or some other symbol of Jesus' power that is currently hidden.


A throne from which I'm told
The singer says they have been told that Jesus' throne is very powerful.


All history does unfold.
The singer suggests that all of history unfolds from Jesus' actions and life.


Down here it's made of wood and wire
The artist contrasts the splendor of heaven with the more humble and crude reality of their prison cell.


And my body is on fire
The artist may be experiencing physical distress or pain.


And god is never far away.
The singer is convinced that God is present with them, even in their darkest hour.


into the mercy seat I climb
The singer prepares to face their own death or judgment.


My head is shaved, my head is wired
The artist's head has been shaved and wired, possibly for execution or a medical procedure.


And like a moth that tries
The artist compares themselves to a moth trying to fly towards the light.


To enter the bright eye
The artist seeks some kind of illumination or clarity in their situation.


I go shuffling out of life
The singer is resigning themselves to their own death.


Just to hide in death awhile
The artist seems to see death as a form of hiding or escape from their current reality.


And anyway I never lied.
The singer reiterates that they have never lied about their guilt or innocence.


my kill-hand is called e.v.i.l.
The singer labels their hand as 'evil'.


Wears a wedding band that's g.o.o.d.
The singer's 'kill-hand' wears a wedding band, suggesting some kind of irony or duality to their nature.


'tis a long-suffering shackle
The artist references the wedding band as a kind of burden or suffering.


Collaring all that rebel blood.
The artist suggests that the wedding band is associated with rebellion or resistance in some way.


and the mercy seat is burning
The mercy seat, which may symbolize death or judgment, is described as burning.


And in a way I'm hoping
The singer has some kind of hope or expectations regarding the mercy seat.


To be done with all this weighing up of truth.
The artist is tired of constantly having to have their words and actions scrutinized for truthfulness.


And I've got nothing left to lose
The artist seems to have given up or lost everything they had.


And I'm not afraid to die.
The artist is not afraid of facing their own death or judgment.


And anyway there was no proof
The singer suggests that there was no real evidence against them in their legal case.


Nor a motive why.
The artist is asserting their own innocence in their case.


A lie for a lie
The singer references the idea of offering falsehoods in exchange for falsehoods.


And a truth for a truth
The singer states that they would prefer truth in exchange for truth.


And I'm afraid I told a lie
The singer admits that they have lied at some point, despite their previous declarations of innocence.




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