This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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 un-good
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 the sick breath at my hind
They are the sick breath at my hind
They are the 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 all across his 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 evil
Wears a wedding band that's good
'Tis a long-suffering shackle
Collaring all that rebel blood
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 growing
And I think my head is melting
And in a way I'm 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 saw no proof
And not a motive why
And the mercy seat is melting
And I think my blood is boiling
And in a way I'm spoiling all the fun
By all this consequence 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 not 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
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 life for a life
And a truth for a truth
And anyway there was no proof
And I'm not afraid to die
And 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
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
But anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die
And the mercy seat is-a waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning to be done
With all this measuring of proof
Of 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-a waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning to be done
With all this measuring of proof
Of 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-a waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning to be done
With all this measuring of proof
Of 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-a waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning to be done
With all this measuring of proof
Of 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
Of an eye for an 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-a waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning to be done
With all this measuring of proof
Of an eye for an 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-a waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning to be done
With all this measuring of proof
Of 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
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 un-good
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 the sick breath at my hind
They are the sick breath at my hind
They are the 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 all across his 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 evil
Wears a wedding band that's good
'Tis a long-suffering shackle
Collaring all that rebel blood
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 growing
And I think my head is melting
And in a way I'm 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 saw no proof
And not a motive why
And the mercy seat is melting
And I think my blood is boiling
And in a way I'm spoiling all the fun
By all this consequence 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 not 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
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 life for a life
And a truth for a truth
And anyway there was no proof
And I'm not afraid to die
And 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
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
But anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die
And the mercy seat is-a waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning to be done
With all this measuring of proof
Of 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-a waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning to be done
With all this measuring of proof
Of 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-a waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning to be done
With all this measuring of proof
Of 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-a waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning to be done
With all this measuring of proof
Of 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
Of an eye for an 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-a waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning to be done
With all this measuring of proof
Of an eye for an 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-a waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning to be done
With all this measuring of proof
Of 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
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"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"
"Kill-hand" may be a poker reference - under some rulesets in which the game is short but the stakes are high - but here I think it's simply a colourful name for his right hand, the one which would wield a weapon.
The E.V.I.L. / G.O.O.D. probably refers to knuckle tattoos, often sported by prisoners. That he's on death row would indicate he's had these applied during a former stretch in general population.
Wedding band would mean good and evil are inextricably linked, and the good balances the evil & somehow restrains it from getting (excuse the pun) out of hand. The lines following would support this idea.
A point about those tattoos. They are directly influenced by the 1955 film 'Night Of The Hunter', which was the only film ever directed by the great actor Charles Laughton. In this film, Robert Mitchum plays a psychotic preacher who has 'LOVE' and 'HATE' tattooed on his knuckles. He uses the tattoos to illustrate the constant fight that good and evil are engaged in in every soul. By extension, the tattoos also reveal the struggle between the pious Christian preacher and the callous killer that both reside within his own soul. The film disturbingly notes that these two sides may not be as far apart as they initially seem....<br /> <br /> Cave is very culturally literate, and has scripted a number of films himself. I'm sure he had this film in mind when he wrote these lines.