Misc Traditional – The Mermaid (Guitar)
Capo 2
Key
-
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Speed:
1.0x
Chords
I first learned this as a boy scout from some guy who used to sing it a lot, you're supposed to stand while
you sing it, because singing comes from the knees.. I later worked out the chords and have been singing it
a bit.. It's a great I IV V song, for beginners (and pros)..
upon further research this song has much more of a history than I thought, I guess the first written text of
it was from about 1630, which makes it predate scarbourough fair even.. and of course it may have been sung
for hundreds of years before that. there are a bunch of alternate lyrics, in fact I couldn't find 2 lyrics
that were identical, and the old ones are really not understandable in modern english.. these are the official
lyrics as sung by me who learned it from some guy who heard it from somebody else.. ;)
[Verse 1]
G C G C G twas friday morn when we set sail G C D G and we were not far from the land G C G C G when our captain he spied a lovely mermaid G C D G with a comb and a glass in her hand
[Chorus]
G G and the ocean waves will roll G C G and the stormy winds will blow G C G C G while we poor sailors go skipping to the top G C D G and the land lubbers lie down below
[Verse 2]
G C G C G well up spoke the captain of our gallant ship G C D G and a well spoken man was he G C G C G well I have a wife in salem by the sea G C D G and tonight a widow she will be
[Chorus]
G G and the ocean waves will roll G C G and the stormy winds will blow G C G C G while we poor sailors go skipping to the top G C D G and the land lubbers lie down below
[Verse 2]
G C G C G well up spoke the cook of our gallant ship G C D G and a right fiery cook was he G C G C G well I care more for my pots and my pans G C D G than I do for the bottom of the sea
[Chorus]
G G and the ocean waves will roll G C G and the stormy winds will blow G C G C G while we poor sailors go skipping to the top G C D G and the land lubbers lie down below
[Verse 3]
G C G C G well up spoke the cabin boy of our gallant ship G C D G and a right snotty cabinboy was he G C G C G meh meh meh meh me me.. (nobody likes the cabinboy or really gives a **** what he says, G C D G me me meh meh meh meh.. so this part just gets hummed)
[Chorus]
G G and the ocean waves will roll G C G and the stormy winds will blow G C G C G while we poor sailors go skipping to the top G C D G and the land lubbers lie down below
[Verse 4]
(slower)
G C G C G well three times around went our gallant ship G C D G and three times round went she G C G C G well three times around went our galland ship G C D G and she sank to the bottom of the sea