Book of Song

Mermaid, The

by trad

It was [G] Friday morn [C] when we set [G] sail
And we [C] were not [D7] far from the [G] land
When our [G] captain he spied a [C] mermaid so [G] fair
With a [C] comb and a [D7] glass in her [G] hand

( Chorus
And the [G] ocean waves do roll
And the stormy winds do [D7] blow
And [G] we poor sailors are [C] skipping at the [G] top
While the [C] landlubbers [D7] lie down [G] below, below, below
While the [C] landlubbers [D7] lie down [G] below )

Then up spoke the captain of our gallant ship
And a fine old man was he
He said “This fishy mermaid has warned me of our doom
We shall sink to the bottom of the sea”

Chorus

Then up spoke the mate of our gallant ship
And a brave young man was he
He said “I have a wife in Boston 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
He said “I care much more for my pots and my pans
Than I do for the bottom of the sea”

Chorus

Then up spoke the cabin boy of our gallant ship
And a well spoken lad was he
He said “I have a sweetheart in Portland by the sea
But tonight she’ll be weeping for me”

Chorus

Three times around spun our gallant ship
And three times around spun she
And three times around spun our gallant ship
And she sank to the bottom of the sea