THE MERMAID

      (derived from CHILD BALLAD)

 

‘Twas Friday morn when we set sail,

And we had not got far from the land,

When the Captain, he spied a lovely mermaid,

With a comb and a glass in her hand.

 

CHORUS

And the ocean waves do roll,

And the stormy winds may blow

While we poor sailors go skipping at the tops

And the landlubbers lie down below, below, below

And the landlubbers lie down below.

 

Then up spoke the First Mate of our gallant ship,

And a jolly First Mate was he;

“I have a wife in Salem town,

But tonight a widow she will be.”

CHORUS

 

Then up spoke the Cook of our gallant ship,

And a greasy old Cook was he;

“I care more for my kettles and my pots,

Than I do for the roaring of the sea.”

CHORUS

 

Then up spoke the Cabin-boy of our gallant ship,

And a dirty little brat was he;

“I have friends in Boston town

That don’t give a flyin’ flip for me.”

CHORUS

 

ALL (slowly):

Then three times ‘round went our gallant ship,

And three times round went she,

Three times ‘round went our gallant ship,

And she sank to the bottom of the sea.

 

CHORUS

And the ocean waves do roll,

And the stormy winds may blow

While we poor sailors go skipping at the tops

And the landlubbers lie down below, below, below

And the landlubbers lie down below, below, below

And the  -- landlubbers -- lie -- down -- below.

***