The Mercy Seat

Info in detail about The Mercy Seat.

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Song Information
Released on the Album: Tender Prey
Album Art Lyrics

Notes
With the "2 Meter Session" release of The Mercy Seat, there are now 8 different versions officially released.
Studio:
  • Tender Prey Album version
  • Video Mix

    • Acoustic:
  • January 1990 New York version on the free 12" with The Good Son, also available on the re-release called Stripped.
  • 3/3/89 LA version in Road To God Knows Where, also available on Mute promo albums.
  • 14/3/90 2 meter session

    Live:
  • Amsterdam June 92 version (in Live at the Paradiso video, and as b-side to I Had A Dream, Joe)
  • Live Seeds version
  • Sydney 1996 version on Ritual Habitual video.

    • It may be noted that there are more acoustic versions circulating. There is also a spoken word version, and the (somewhat slower) version from Liss Ard 97. There is a special version from US TV (Night Music 28/1/90).

    The live debut for The Mercy Seat was London, Limelight 12/7/88. Since then it has been played at ALL live concerts (that is at least 330 times).

    Thanks to maurice.

    Erik noted:

    Plato Records (Who has the above disc) has got a web site. Because the old one isn't updated, disc wasn't there. The new site can be found at http://mars.plato.nl/plato/.

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    Exodus Chapter 25 - God outlines the building of the Ark of the Covenant to Moses, the latter part of the instructions are as follows:

    "And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shalt stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give to thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the cherubims which are upon the ark on the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel."

    For all you completists out there, the mercy seat is also mentioned in the book of Numbers and of Leviticus: it is the place upon which God sits in order to commune with his servants.

    As well, The Mercy Seat again pops up in Milton's Paradise Lost:

    From Book XI:
    Praying; for from the mercy-seat above
    Prevenient grace descending had removed
    The stony from their hearts, and made new flesh
    Regenerate grow instead ...

    From Book XII:
    An ark, and in the ark his testimony,
    The records of his covenant; over these
    A mercy-seat of gold, between the wings
    Of two bright Cherubim; before him burn
    Seven lamps as in a zodiack representing
    The heavenly fires...

    Thanks to Jonathan

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