Story Behind The Song

The first version of The Mermaid was learned from the Revel Players and the second was another Clancy Brothers/Tommy Makem inspiration.

Song Description

Two perspectives of the same event from two entirely different moods of a sailing crew and an encounter with a mermaid.

Lyrics

The Mermaid

It was Friday morning when we set sail,
And being not far from land.
Our captain spied a mermaid a sittin' on a rock
With a comb and a glass on her hand.

The song she sang, she sang so sweet.
But no answer at all could us make
Until at length our gallant ship, she turned 'round about
Which made all us poor hearts to ache

And up the spoke the captain of our ship
And a fine spoken man was he
He said this fishy mermaid has warned us of our doom
We shall sink to the bottom of the sea

(Bridge)

It was Friday morn when we sat sail
And we were not far from the land,
When the captain, he spied a mermaid so fair
with a comb and a glass in her hand. (chorus)

And the ocean waves do roll.
And the stormy winds do blow---
And we poor sailors are skippin' at the top
While the land lubbers lie down below, below, below.
While the land lubbers lie down below.

Then up spoke the captain of our gallant ship
And a fine spoken man was he.
This fishy mermaid has warned me of our doom.
We shall sink to the bottom of the sea. (chorus)

Then up stepped the cabin boy of our gallant ship,
And a brave young lad was he.
He said, "I have a sweetheart in Salem by the sea.
But tonight she'll be weeping for me" (chorus)

Then up spoke the mate of our gallant ship
And a fine, young man was he.
He said, "I have a wife in Boaz by the sea,
But tonight a widow she will be." (chorus)

Then up spoke the cook of our gallant ship
And a crazy old butcher was he.
"I care much more for my pots and my pans
Than I do for the bottom of the sea." (chorus)

Three times around spun our gallant ship.
Three times around spun she.
Three times around spun our gallant ship
And she sank to the bottom of the sea. (chorus).