The Mercy Seat (Live at Alexandra Palace, 2020)

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
A meal trolley's wicked wheels and a
A hooked bone rising from my food
All things good or ungood

And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
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

Interpret sign and catalogue
A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog
The walls are bad, black bottom kind
They are the sick breath at my hind
And 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

My good hand
Tattooed evil across his brother's fist
That filthy five did nothing to challenge or resist
In heaven His throne is made of gold
And 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
My kill-hand is called evil
Wears a wedding band that's good
'Tis a long-suffering shackle
Collaring all that rebel blood

And the mercy seat is awaiting
And I think my head is burning
In a way I'm yearning to be done
With all this weighing up of truth
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And any way I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die

And the mercy seat is burning
And I think my head is glowing
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 anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die

And the mercy seat is smoking
And I think my head is melting
In a way I'm helping to be done
With all this twisting of the truth
A life for a life
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway I got nothing left to lose
And I'm not afraid to die

Melting
And I think my blood is boiling
In a way I'm spoiling all the fun
With all this truth and consequence
A lie for a lie
And a truth for a truth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die