Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Mercy Seat
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- čas přidán 12. 03. 2010
- Official music video for “The Mercy Seat” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
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Video directed by Christoph Dreher.
‘The Mercy Seat’ was the first single from the band’s fifth album ‘Tender Prey’ and originally released in May 1988.
The song featured the Bad Seeds line up of Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld,
Kid Congo Powers, Thomas Wydler & Roland Wolf.
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Lyrics:
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 deals
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 proof.
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
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.
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
So 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 devil blood.
And the mercy seat is a-burning
And I think my head is flowing
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 waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of proof
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway, there was no proof
And nor a motive why.
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 tooth for a tooth
And anyway there was no proof
And I'm not afraid to die.
Now the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is smoking
And in a way I'm hoping
To be done with all these looks of disbelief.
A 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 waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of proof
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 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 eye for a eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
But I'm not afraid to 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 proof
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.
#NickCaveandtheBadSeeds #TenderPrey #TheMercySeat
(C)1988 Mute Records, a BMG Company. - Hudba
There's life before you listen to Nick Cave and then theres life after you listen to Cave
Best comment
Facts.
😮😊
I’m in a death loop of listening to all his albums at the moment
Im a 68yr old grandmother and rabid fan for many years. I love the intensity of this version.
Not the usual fan base -Good on ya!
@@woodspirit7701 Who is the usual? I havent been this age always. Ive shouted sons and grandsons to concerts, they are fans as well.
Nick Cave is 64 so she's exactly the fan base (whatever that is?)
Same here and I love Nick
wish my grandma where as cool as you eliza
I've known this song since I was like I was 17...I am 48 and I am not afraid to cry
believe it or not, I just found this today in a random search, how lucky am I?
That's beautiful man
Me too! Thank you Rage!
same here brother
54 & lately, I'm afraid not to cry ...........
I like desperate songs. This song takes the crown.
I would love a list
@@TheMELBIED agreed
@@TheMELBIED agreed 2
@@TheMELBIED
Black Country, New Road - Sunglasses
Black midi - bmbmbm
Squid - Narrator
Danny Elfman - Sorry
Swans - Screen Shot
clipping. - Story 2
The Mars Volta - Dyslexicon
Do you know the cover version from Goethes Erben? Worth listening to.
This song must be executed from a chorus of 200 people, 50 cellos, 70 violins, 10 drums and 20 guitars ! I imagine Nick elevating !
I have never understood how Blixa gets his tone. It is the most grinding, vicious sound I've ever loved
If you asked Blixa, I doubt he could answer with any kind of precision. I suspect he uses the tech ready-to-hand and, most importantly, his ears.
Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how it seems to me.
Blixa is cool
@@mattgilbert7347 agreed, I think he has a natural musician's ear. I remember seeing an interview with Nick some years ago where he said that often Blixa would turn up to recording sessions or shows without a guitar and just use whatever was lying around or whatever guitar he could borrow. No expensive equipment, no effect pedals.
He has an extremely unique talent, I think Nick said that he could pick up any regular guitar and make sound that no one has ever made before
This is probably one of the best songs ever written, just brilliant!
Covered by Johnny Cash-so you Know it is!❤
I love this song. It sounds like a total desperate mess of overwhelming dark noise; Nick Cave is truly the king of capturing those deep emotions.
well put
VERY well put! Beautifully articulate description. I love this song too; it has an urgency to it & you can really hear the fear & panic.
You're probably right. At first, I wanted to state that he'd only be king next to Leonard Cohen, but Cohen's songs are never a desperate "mess". Overwhelmung and dark, desperate, for sure, but not a "mess" full of panic. The same can be said about Johnny Cash, which can be perfectly seen by his cover of this song, I guess!
So, yeah, you're very right. Just thinking about the song From Her To Eternity is probably enough to say that that's a legit statement. :)
was the mercy seat an implement of 16th century torture?
@@tihipp217 The Mercy Seat is the space between the two cherubim on the ark of the covenant in which God was said to have made his earthly throne. In American slang, the electric chair was known as the mercy seat. Cave made an analogous comparison of the two in this song.
One of the most incredible songs ever. I am 50 now, I bought this record when it came out. I still remember myself in my room with this vinyl on the turntable, quite upset, confused and mesmerized by this song.
Right there with you all the way. One of the best of times during any Nick show is this, with the audience screaming along to every word. Gives me shivers just thinking of it. 💕
(Of course I also do it when it comes up on any playlist which is especially fun if I happen to be at a stop sign lol 😁)
same here, 53 now
This is just brilliant - never get tired of it. It's a cliche to say he's the coolest man on the planet, but he really is. Intelligent, literate, free-spirited and a magical performer. An alchemist. One of the greats.
The ship song project was a well overdue tribute to his music - mostly ignored before kylie
Tree House Bookshop, very well spoken! Exactly so. The man is a god.
Many creative greats /'gods' - Cave's good friend & collaborator *Jeffrey Lee Pierce* - a life-time of seeking leads me to believe most've them have the God given gift of Asperger's in common.
Q
You're right. If that damn virus hadn't appeared on Earth, I would have seen him again live in June in Paris. At least, I got to see him live in July 2013 at the French Beauregard festival where he was mindblowing!
Incredibly poetic and deeply felt - he was so young at the time, but immersed himself in this character like a great method actor.
Hello 👋 how are you doing today and hope you are having a great day ?
I don't know why I'm just discovering this song lol ❤😂
Nick Cave is my kind of artist.
One of the greatest musical storytellers of all time. Been a fan since the early nineties.
Imagine a collaberation of Tom Waits and Nick Cave in a videoclip directed by David Lynch... Would be breathtaking.
I am with you on that. It would be a masterpiece!
+Blister Monde HAH!!! That would be Amazing!
+Blister Monde The world would implode
+Blister Monde Damn, you hit the nail on the head my friend! Make it happen
You, I like you!
This is a great song, and a great performance.
Covered notably by Johnny Cash, the two did a duet on his American IV album of a Hank Williams song. "'It doesn't matter what anyone says,' remarked Nick Cave proudly. 'Johnny Cash recorded my song.'".
THE MASTER and one of the best modern poets ever.
I agree. Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Patti Smith, Dylan and Mark E Smith
Better late than never. I just discovered them today. I've listened to 20 of their songs so far and love every single one of them. I can never say that about any artist! But this song, OMG, this song just blows me away!
Try The Gun Club
@@TheMercury-13 His voice is flatter than Lou Reed ... He has the range of Roseanne Barr ... This was the best song so far out of ten i listened to ... I just do not get it ... Oh well, back to "the main squeeze" for some actual talent
Brilliant, dark, pounding, menacing regret laced with murderous defiance. Nobody does murder and Old Testament death quite like Nick Cave. He sings out the terror and raw blood lust of biblical tales of mercy, atonement, sacrifice and ritual. The singer approaches his death with a lucid babbling and contradictory mixture of strength, weakness, remorse and the desperate clinging to his only truth, that he must die and he is both ready and shitting himself. The song manages to describe the visceral brutal torture of the electric chair, ironically called the Mercy Seat when the only mercy it offers is a shaved head wired to electrodes, the burning, the glowing, the feeling of melting. The horror of eye for an eye justice when the justice for murder is simply murder. Mention of the Kill Hand tattooing EVIL on the unresisting other hand references the classic 1950s film Night Of The Hunter and Robert Mitchum's tour de force as a killer preacher with the symbolic LOVE and HATE tattooed across his knuckles. This is an early use of strings too, with some wild atonal parts that foreshadow the great Warren Ellis bringing the fear of the devil to the later incarnation of the band. Nick is smart and tasteful enough to appreciate the value of pure unhinged chaos within a beautiful song, a role provided by Blixa Bargeld for many years and now by Warren more than capably taking up the mantle. The performances, recording and mix on this version however suffer from the personal chaos in the band at the time, Flood did the best he could as a producer but lacks the freedom, wild innovation, stereo imagination and massive submerged threatening low end that Melbourne Producer Tony Cohen typically brought to much of Cave's best work. Cohen had the ability to background things that worked texturally but weren't strong performances or melodies, and to slam your face with the hooks, taking dynamic risks with a mix that should be wrong in somebody's book but were so succesful because of his close listening to the heart of the song. The Tony Cohen mixed version on LIVE SEEDS from 1993 is more powerful and a better mix, as often happens when a song gets played enough to settle in and the band inhabit it in way they hadn't yet in the earliest version. This is a song written by a younger man, still feeling the shadow hand of the invincibility of youth and able to entertain the idea of death because of it. But the Johnny Cash version is the voice and soul of a man who has seen and faced death's devestation over and over, he brought a gravity and painful vulnerability to the song that can't be matched. Ultimately this song was written for Cash, without even knowing it, and he owned it.
Profound comment,loved it but Johnny changed the words so both versions have a different meaning.Both versions are separate so there is not really a comparison.
Succinctly said.
Surely you're a music journo. Wish I could write analysis like this
@@dippy9119 not a journo, a musician!
Have you thought about being a journalist for the Rolling Stone
Saw The Bad Seeds on March 23rd in Toronto. They played this an it was phenomenal. I am reborn. This song never fails to send a chill to down my spine.
it doesn't get any better than this, I could listen to just this song forever and that'd be ok.
I agree
Chris Flitton
Yep.
I did an essay on him and his music in Uni way back when, and a decade later I have come back to him. He references so many things in his songs they are brilliant to interpret. I love music/lyrics that really make you think.
Amazing! I would very much like to read it if you still have it with you.
where are you from darling?
over 30 years old and still spell binding stuff - magnificent
One of the greatest videos ever, Nick cave is an incredible lyricist
An enormous charisma and a moving song
The acoustic version of this song that he performs live (and found on the Peaky Blinders soundtrack) is so chilling and powerful. Makes me cry every time. Phenomenal.
Omg, this son it's so amazing, strong and desperate. This song is brave.
So young. So dark. So talented. Glad people are seeing his genius now.
Definitely the song of man with nothing to loose and only retribution to take
This is just one of those songs that give me chills from head to toe to deep inside the core of my being. And those kind of songs are what will last and continue to shake and touch souls for all eternity 🖤
Bowie, Mark E.Smith, Morrissey all geniuses and you definitely have to add Nick Cave to the list. A fantastic body of work and the greatest oz artist of the past 30 years. Brilliant gig at the ICC Sydney a few weeks back also.
Rick Parker he shouldn’t be anywhere near that list.
@@ColonelRoge Bowie and Nick Cave have league of their own. Other two I don't think even worth to mention.
Paulius Paškevičius robert smith makes the team too
Ian McCullough & Bono
Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Siouxsie Sioux, Thom Yorke, Kate Bush. Morrisey & Robert Smith yes, not so sure about Mark E.Smith; I'd swap for Danielle Dax.
First Time i Heard it in a car Somewhere between las Vegas and sans Francisco...i cried and i cried!! Could not stop. The Melody is overwhelming.
It's intense yeah
I just love Blixa in this video, wunderbar!
It's hard to say because he wrote dozens of incredible songs, but this one is really something you cannot forget since the first time you listened to it
I remember buying this when it came out on vinyl. it made me a fanatic.
Saw the original lyric sheets today at the Stranger Than Kindness exhibit. Have always loved this song. Such brilliant writing and music.
this man makes you see the world behind the world....sheer brilliance.
This is a long song by anyone's standards, but I am never ready for it to end.
This song makes you think
love Cash, Dylan and Waits, but Cave's my favorite singer-songwriter in this world.
Try Jeffrey Lee Pierce 💜
After seven years you've probably figured out the Waits shtick. The Mercury 13 knows where it's at. Gun Club. Jeffrey Lee. And "Miami," listen to that record, it's a brilliant fucking record. They all are, but "Miami"is often maligned for "the production maaanI." Bullshit. You may disagree but at least listen to it and decide for yourself....
Nice pick of songwriters - many more there.
Great combination!
I am 26 and i love Nick Cave. My dad showed me tape with his songs. I am non native but I really feel this power.
Never been tired of listening to this... Since 1988.
I saw him 1985 on a festival, as one of the many groups. Today his concerts are sold out in 1 hour. It took a while, but he got the deserved recognition in the end.
You say that, but his tickets for his Ghosteen album were still going strong till just before this virus thing hit, so a good few months!
omg the twist at the end..and anyway I told the truth, but I'm afraid I told a lie.. it gives me skull tingles every time
Because in the end we all do it from individuals to nations we lie enough till it becomes the truth...
Well, I never get tired of Nick Cave, there's always another layer.
Many won’t agree, but this song is the bad seeds at its zenith. Look at this line up and this song. Got me hooked at this time.
This video is close to perfection
Just look at that hair
I cried the first time I heard it in concert. Such a great song.
Only 14 hours ago a current fan and listener i
I am 52 years old and this song is timeless@@kevallman7829
"And like some ragged stranger, died upon the cross - and might I say; it seems so fitting in it's wake...he was a carpenter by trade..." what devious wit! I love him!
This is the stuff i listen to while "studying"
Given the lyrics, I've always felt you listen to this song as if it was the very last one you're going to hear!
On a completely different wave, I find it humorous that Nick kinda looks like a young Mike Ness in parts of this video.
а ящитаю что похож на вася обычного )))
First Nick Cave song I ever heard. Completely blew me away.
Sir Cave...You are THE KING.
корль панков
Genius. The last line sells the song.
Love that pounding rhythm!
Charisma, that is.
"The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of life, your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you, he said. They're freeing your soul. So, if you're frightened of dying and... and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth."
gsimon123 wins teh intarwebz today, for quoting "Jacob's Ladder". Well played, sir.
Joel Hassig Haha thanks!
I dont really understand, wath you are saying. Pobably different ganja. Anyway. Nick has got attitude, Down in the outback, looking for new territory, he is a normal pal.
Klau Da Quoting the movie "Jacob's Ladder" which has some themes about people facing death just like this song does.
+gsimon123 I heard it from UNKLE's Rabbit in your Headlights first, which led me to watch the film :)
/watch?v=NZf1tikMB7c
Saw him live @Lowlands 2 days ago. This song gave me goosebumps. They are so great live! So happy I got to see them play (originally I had to work that night but got to trade my shift)
Extremely hard to pick between this version and later with Warren Ellis. They are both different and fantastic. The lyrics speak for themselves. This man I believe just turned 63, seen him live a lot and he's still just as electric in every performance. As long as he tours I will continue to go he's that brilliant.
A TOOF FOR A TOOF
so funny
That's right mascara snake: fast'n'bulbous :P
You sir get 100 likes
A defining moment in Australian music.
From 2:35 onward this song is insanely catchy. I can't get that chant out of my head! If it lasted an hour I'd stay with it. Nick is music's mad genius fo sho
I would love to hear an hour long version of this song with the intensity getting more and more extreme. ❤
Such an amazing song. Video. Man.
Incredible, amazing, Awesome. What a tune, what a man!
Not even the great Nick Cave can *perform* this masterpiece properly, it can't be done
My favorite male singer of all time, live this song is even more glorious. I love what Warren Ellis did with it too.
One of my favorite songs.
Breathtaking. Has to be my favourite song of his
Too many comments, too many commenters, when one word will suffice:
MAGNIFICENT
The Johnny Cash original is still the best, but Cave is great.
I really like his "acting" in the jail cell & of course his voice & this song!
Las dos versiones me dan escalofrios, Cave and Cash
By far my favorite Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds song
This popped up on my indie radio station I listen to today. Hadn't heard it in a while. Wow what a song.
Classic
Pure genius!!!
The Nick Cave song that won me over
One day on the Roskilde Festival in Denmark way back I heard Nick and the Seeds doing a sound test on one of the stages and we walked over. The best version of 'The Mercy Seed' I ever heard!
I really love this song. I don't see how people can't like them
Right before the video began, CZcams showed me an advert of a large, overly-happy family in a brightly lit house gorging themselves on Nutella. Am I wrong in deciding that it was the protagonist's invasion of their home and their subsequent brutal murder that led to his being on death row? It seemed to fit so well.
Not wrong
lol! Very funny!
Obviously you didn't listen to the very end of the song where he sings "But I'm afraid I told a lie". Turns out he was guilty after all---what a tweeest!
you do not know what he lied about, that's what makes it interesting. could of lied about not being afraid to die for all anyone knows.
That's certainly an... INTERESTING interpretation of the song, but most certainly from the meaning Nick Cave intended. Nick has used the trope of "the unreliable narrator" elsewhere, including "Song of Joy" and "Midnight Man".
The supreme irony of a state punishing murder by murdering somebody.
Наконец - то. Как долго я искала эту песню
sometimes you just gotta sit back and listen and not be afraid of dying
one of my favorite:)
Of the hundreds of great songs by this master,I think this is my favorite
One of my many favorite songs of his/theirs. They played it at the Greek in Berkeley 2 wks ago. Almost made me cry because, well, reasons.
this great song of Nick ! as himself
The drummer did a great job
Tender Prey.. One of his BEST!!! (Hard to choose!!)
i just had the big pleasure of seeing them live and, sure, the album version is great, but live they lifted it up to a totally different level. i expected a lot and was still just blown away by all this power coming from nick and his truly amazing band. oh yeah and he's sexy too.
"I hear stories from the chamber
That 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"
Me too!
“...Like my good hand 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
Down here it's made of wood and wire
And my body is on fire
And God is never far away”
This song will keep me going when I can't do it myself.
What a classic. Love this song. Sing it in my sleep. Sorry Nick xxx
Superb! ❤️
Berlin 80s..............Such fucking sweet years...........
Love this song....
I'm 34 ....I just found out about this great artist and I think this is my new favorite band....very dark and weird but also very deep and touching I love nick cave and can't wait to show everyone I know who he is😏👍👌
💯
Welcome
I just saw this vid on VH1 Classic's 120 Minutes. It just intrigued me!
we all need Mercy
My vote is for this over Johnny cash cover. That goes for hurt too! So much more raw!
Outstanding !!!!!!!!!!!!
Can't believe it's been almost 30 years since i first saw this vid. Became a fan for life