The Mercy Seat Johnny Cash

The Mercy Seat

Johnny Cash

ChordCrusher

326
0:00 4:26
Tuning Standard (E A D G B E)
Beat 4/4
Key: Am
Capo:
No capo
Strumming 1

Whole song: ↓ · ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Am   Em                  Am
  It all began when they took me from my home
Em
And put me on Death Row
Am                      Em
  A crime for which I am  totally innocent,
    Am
you know
Em Am           Em
     I began to warm and chill
Am          Em
  To objects  and their fields
Am                Em
  A ragged cup, a twisted mop
Am                  Em
  The face of Jesus in my soup
Am               Em
  Those sinister dinner deals
Am                   Em
  The meal trolley's wicked wheels
Am              Em
  A hooked bone rising from my food
Am                      Em
  And all things either good or ungood

[Chorus]
Am
  And the mercy seat is waiting
Ammaj7
      And I think my head is burning
C
 And in a way I'm yearning
      G                                  Gm
To be done with all this weighing of the truth
An eye for an eye
                  Bb/F
And a tooth for a tooth
                      F
And anyway I told the truth
                         Am
And I'm not afraid to die

[Break]
              | Em |
| Am | Em |

[Verse 2]
Am                            Ammaj7
  I hear stories from the chamber
                          C
Christ was born into a manger
And like some ragged stranger
   G
He died upon the cross
        Gm
Might I say,
                           Bb/F
it seems so fitting in its way
                           F
He was a carpenter by trade
                            Am
Or at least that's what I'm told

[Break]
    | Em | Am | Em |

[Verse 3]
Am
  My killhand's
Em
Tatooed E.V.I.L.
Am            Em
  across it's brother's fist
Am                 Em
  That filthy five!
           Am                      Em
They did nothing to challenge or resist

[Chorus]
Am                                    Ammaj7
  In Heaven His throne is made of gold
                            C
The ark of his Testament is stowed
A throne from which I'm told
    G
All history does unfold
     Gm
It's made of wood and wire
       Bb/F
And my body is on fire
F                         Am
 And God is never far away

[Reprise 1]
                      Ammaj7
Into the mercy seat I climb 
                                C
My head is shaved, my head is wired
And like a moth that tries
   G
To enter the bright eye
     Gm
I go shuffling out of life
            Bb/F
Just to hide    in death awhile
F                       Am
 And anyway I never lied

[Reprise 2]
And the mercy seat is waiting
Ammaj7
      And I think my head is burning
C
 And in a way I'm yearning
      G                                       Gm
To be done with all this weighing of the truth
An eye for an eye
                  Bb/F
And a tooth for a tooth
                      F
And anyway I told the truth
                         Am
And I'm not afraid to die

[Reprise 3]
And the mercy seat is burning
Ammaj7
      And I think my head is glowing
C
 And in a way I'm hoping
      G                                       Gm
To be done with all this twisting of the truth
An eye for an eye
                  Bb/F
And a tooth for a tooth
                        F
And anyway there was no proof
                         Am
And I'm not afraid to die

[Reprise 4]
And the mercy seat is glowing
Ammaj7
      And I think my head is smoking
C
 And in a way I'm hoping
      G                                     Gm
To be done with all these looks of disbelief
A life for a life
                  Bb/F
And a truth for a truth
                                  F
And I've got nothing left to loose
                         Am
And I'm not afraid to die

[Reprise 5]
And the mercy seat is smoking
Ammaj7
      And I think my head is melting
C
 And in a way that's helping
      G                                       Gm
To be done with all this twisting of the truth
An eye for an eye
                  Bb/F
And a tooth for a tooth
                      F
And anyway I told the truth
                        Am Ammaj7 C G Gm Bb/F F
But I'm afraid I told a lie

[Reprise 7]
             | Am | - |
| Ammaj7 | - | C  | - |
| G      | - | Gm | - |
| Bb/F   | - | F  | - |

[Outro]
| Am | - | Ammaj7 | - |
| C  | - | G      | - |
| Gm | - | Bb/F   | - |
| F  | - | Am     |

Bars

[Verse 1]
| Am | Em | Am | Em |
| Am | Em | Am | Em |
| Am | Em | Am | Em |
| Am | Em | Am | Em |
| Am | Em | Am | Em |
| Am | Em | Am | Em |

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

[Chorus]
| Am | - | Ammaj7 | - |
| C  | - | G      | - |
| Gm | - | Bb/F   | - |
| F  | - | Am     |

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

[Break]
              | Em |
| Am | Em |

[Verse 2]
             | Am | - |
| Ammaj7 | - | C  | - |
| G      | - | Gm | - |
| Bb/F   | - | F  | - |
| Am     |

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

[Break]
    | Em | Am | Em |

[Verse 3]
| Am | Em | Am | Em |
| Am | Em | Am | Em |

My killhand's
Tatooed E.V.I.L.
across it's brother's fist
That filthy five!
They did nothing to challenge or resist

[Chorus]
| Am | - | Ammaj7 | - |
| C  | - | G      | - |
| Gm | - | Bb/F   | - |
| F  | - | Am     | - |

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

[Reprise 1]
| Ammaj7 | - | C  | - |
| G      | - | Gm | - |
| Bb/F   | - | F  | - |
| Am     | - |

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

[Reprise 2]
         | Ammaj7 | - |
| C  | - | G      | - |
| Gm | - | Bb/F   | - |
| F  | - | Am     | - |

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

[Reprise 3]
| Ammaj7 | - | C  | - |
| G      | - | Gm | - |
| Bb/F   | - | F  | - |
| Am     | - |

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 twisting 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

[Reprise 4]
         | Ammaj7 | - |
| C  | - | G      | - |
| Gm | - | Bb/F   | - |
| F  | - | Am     | - |

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 loose
And I'm not afraid to die

[Reprise 5]
| Ammaj7 | - | C      | - |
| G      | - | Gm     | - |
| Bb/F   | - | F      | - |
| Am     | - | Ammaj7 | - |
| C      | - | G      | - |
| Gm     | - | Bb/F   | - |
| F      | - |

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 anyway I told the truth
But I'm afraid I told a lie

[Reprise 7]
             | Am | - |
| Ammaj7 | - | C  | - |
| G      | - | Gm | - |
| Bb/F   | - | F  | - |

[Outro]
| Am | - | Ammaj7 | - |
| C  | - | G      | - |
| Gm | - | Bb/F   | - |
| F  | - | Am     |

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