THE MERMAID
(Fletcher Peck)

Frankie Laine - 1952


(Ship Ahoy!) (Ship Ahoy!)

I once went fishin', and I caught a mermaid
Told me that she was Neptune's daughter
I clipped her Pop for a buck and a quarter
Sold her a pen for writin' under......water (Water)

(Ship Ahoy!) (Ship Ahoy!)

So I told her Pappy that we could be happy
Pappy said, "Listen here, you bounder
You cannot keep her just `cos you found her
She is engaged to a very wealthy......flounder" (Flounder)

(Ship Ahoy!) (Ship Ahoy!)

Begged her to marry, she didn't tarry
I slipped the ring upon her flipper
We sailed away on a Yankee clipper
Soon we were blessed with an eight pound bouncing......kipper (Kipper)

(Ship Ahoy!) (Ship Ahoy!)

Thought her a shy one, but she was a sly one
First thing I knew she took to swearin'
Slippin' around and never carin'
Caught her with every Tom and Dick and......Herring (Herring)

(Ship Ahoy!) (Ship Ahoy!)

She just got slyer, and oh, what a liar
Spent all my loot on gin and splurgin'
Lied to my face without no urgin'
`Specially when she said she was a......sturgeon (Sturgeon)

So I learned my lesson (My lesson) and now I'm confessin' (Confessin')
I'll never miss that mermaid's squawkin'
You know they ain't no good for walkin'
Who needs the half that's always busy......talkin' (Talkin')

Ship Aho-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-y!


(Contributed/Transcribed by Bill Huntley
& Ferda Dolunay  - February 2006)