Merman, The

Poets Box (Glasgow) 1873

Twas in the month of Janwery, away in the southern seas 
That our ship lay at anchor near a choral reef, awaiting for a breeze;
The captain, he was down below, and the men were lying about
When from under the bows we heard a splash and then a regular shout,

Singing— Blow ye winds, heave ho ! blow ye winds heave ho!
Clear away the morning dew, and blow ye winds, heave ho!

Man overboard did the watch cry out, and forward all of us ran,
When we saw hanging on by the best bower chain, a jolly old buff merman ;
His hair was red and his eyes were green, and his mouth was as big as three,
And his long green tail that he sat upon, was a wagging down in the sea.

Hallo! cried our mate, as bold as brass, what cheer mess-mate, says he,
Oh! I must speak to your noble captain, I've a favour to ask of he
The captain then he came on deck, and looked on the water blue
Come tell me, my man, and as fast as you can, what favour I can do for you.
 
You've dropped your anchor before my house, and blocked up my only door,
So my wife cant get out for to roam about, nor my chicks, one, two, three, four,
It would break your heart to hear them groan, and the row they've had with me,
For I've been out all night at a small tea fight, at the bottom of the deep blue sea.
 
Says the captain, the anchor shall be hove at once, and your wife and chicks set free,
But I never saw a scale from a sprat to a whale, till now, that could speak to me;
Your figure-head's like a sailor bold, and you speak like an English man,
But how did get such a wonderful tail, come tell me that it you can.
 
Oh! a long time ago, from the ship Hero, I fell overboard in a gale,
And I found down below, where the sea-weeds grow, a lovely girl with a tail,
She saved my life, so I made her my wife, and my legs changed instantly,
For I married with a mermaid*, at the bottom of the deep blue sea.


* Almost certainly sung: "For I mar-ri-ed with a mer-mi-ed" to echo Lloyd's "Married to a mermaid"