The Mermaid
Ballad
Collected by Francis J. Child (1825-1896)
 Adapted by Bounding Main from an arrangement by Diane Leo, adapted from an arrangement by Paul Clayton on Whaling And Sailing Songs


SHANTY SINGERS AND BALLADEERS
We're singing this in Ab
[All]
It was Friday morn when we set sail,
And we were not far from the land
When our 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 sa-li-ors go skippin' at the top
While the landlubbers lie down below! 

[Dean]
Then up spoke the captain of our gallant ship
And a fine old man was he!
"This fishy mermaid has warned us of our doom;
We shall sink to the bottom of the sea!"   (Chorus)

[Maggie]
Up spoke the gunner of our gallant ship, 
And a sharp-shooting arm had she. 
Said, "I may go down with this ship beneath the waves...
But I'm taking me cannons with me!"  (Chorus)

[Jon]
Then up spoke a laddie from our gallant ship
And he saw the mermaid smiling happily . . .
He said "I've never kissed a girl; I'll give that one a whirl!"
And he leapt to the bottom of the sea.  (Chorus)

[Christie]
I've been stuck on this ship for months and months and months
and I'm sea sick, sea sick as can be
They kept sayin' I'll get my sea legs soon
but 'til then I'll be heavin' in the sea  (Chorus)

[David]
Then up spoke the drunkard of our gallant ship
And an old besotted wretch was he!
He said "I once caught a mermaid THIS BIG . . ."
                                                                (Chorus)

[Gina]
I stowed 'way on this big ol' ship,
Looking for adventure on the sea.
So far all I've found are rats and mice and fleas,
And now they're the last thing that I'll see!  (Chorus)

[All]
Three times round spun our gallant ship,
And three times round spun she;
Three times round spun our gallant ship,
And she sank to the bottom of the sea!  (Chorus)
Lyrics © 2005 Bounding Main
This is another favorite around the Bristol set.  It has an audience participation piece in the chorus for "Ocean Waves Do Roll" and "Stormy Winds Do Blow."  If any of the Bounding Mainiacs are in the audience they'll show you how!

The collector of this tune, Francis J. Child, gathered a great many traditional tune used on the folk, maritime and renaissance faire circuits.  For detailed information on him and his works, see this web site.