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The Mermaid

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[Intro]
 G/  D(x4)
[Verse]
DWhen I was a lad in a fishing town
Me olGd man said to mDe:
"You can spend your life, your jBmolly life
Just saEiling on the sAea.
DYou can search the world for pretty girls
Til your eyGes are weak and F#mdim,
But doGn't go searching for a mDermaid, Bmson
If you Gdon't know hAow to swDim"
[Chorus]
'Cause her Ghair was green as Dseaweed
Her sGkin was blue and pDale
Her fGace it was a work of Dart,
I lGoved that girl with alDl my heart
But I oGnly liked the uDpper pBmart
I dGid not lAike the taDil
[Interlude]
 D/  A(x4)
[Verse]
I sDigned onto a sailing ship
My vGery first day at Dsea
I seen the Mermaid Bmin the waves,
ReaEching out to Ame
"Come lDive with me in the sea said she,
DoGwn on the ocean fF#mloor
And I'll sGhow you a million wDonderous tBmhings
You've nGever sAeen beDfore
So oDver I jumped and she pulled me down,
GDown to her seaweed Dbed
A pillow made of a toBmrtoise-shell
She pElaced beneath my hAead
She Dfed me shrimp and caviar
UpGon a silver F#mdish
From her hGead to her waist it was jDust my tBmaste
But the rGest of hAer was a fDish
[Chorus]
'Cause her Ghair was green as Dseaweed
Her sGkin was blue and pDale
Her fGace it was a work of Dart,
I lGoved that girl with alDl my heart
But I oGnly liked the uDpper pBmart
I dGid not lAike the taDil
[Interlude]
 D/  A(x4)
(hold last A)
[Verse]
DBut then one day, she swam away
So I sGang to the clams and the whDales
"Oh, how I miss her sBmeaweed hair
And the siElver shine of her sAcales
But tDhen her sister, she swam by
AnGd set my heart aF#mwhirl
Cause her uGpper part was an Dugly fBmish
But her Gbottom paArt was a gDirl
[Chorus]
Yes her hGair was green as Dseaweed
Her sGkin was blue and pDale
Her lGegs they are a wDork of art,
I lGove that girl with all Dmy heart
And I dGon't give a damn about the uDpper part
Cause tGhat's how I gAet my tDail.

All chords in this song (6)

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The Mermaid

by Great Big Sea

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

F#m

[Intro]

G D

/ (x4)

[Verse]

When I was a lad in a fishing town

G D

Me old man said to me:

"You can spend your life, your jolly life

E A

Just sailing on the sea.

You can search the world for pretty girls

G F#m

Til your eyes are weak and dim,

G D Bm

But don't go searching for a mermaid, son

G A D

If you don't know how to swim"

[Chorus]

G D

'Cause her hair was green as seaweed

G D

Her skin was blue and pale

G D

Her face it was a work of art,

G D

I loved that girl with all my heart

G D Bm

But I only liked the upper part

G A D

I did not like the tail

[Interlude]

D A

/ (x4)

[Verse]

I signed onto a sailing ship

G D

My very first day at sea

I seen the Mermaid in the waves,

E A

Reaching out to me

"Come live with me in the sea said she,

G F#m

Down on the ocean floor

G D Bm

And I'll show you a million wonderous things

G A D

You've never seen before

So over I jumped and she pulled me down,

G D

Down to her seaweed bed

A pillow made of a tortoise-shell

E A

She placed beneath my head

She fed me shrimp and caviar

G F#m

Upon a silver dish

G D Bm

From her head to her waist it was just my taste

G A D

But the rest of her was a fish

[Chorus]

G D

'Cause her hair was green as seaweed

G D

Her skin was blue and pale

G D

Her face it was a work of art,

G D

I loved that girl with all my heart

G D Bm

But I only liked the upper part

G A D

I did not like the tail

[Interlude]

D A

/ (x4)

(hold last A)

[Verse]

But then one day, she swam away

G D

So I sang to the clams and the whales

"Oh, how I miss her seaweed hair

E A

And the silver shine of her scales

But then her sister, she swam by

G F#m

And set my heart awhirl

G D Bm

Cause her upper part was an ugly fish

G A D

But her bottom part was a girl

[Chorus]

G D

Yes her hair was green as seaweed

G D

Her skin was blue and pale

G D

Her legs they are a work of art,

G D

I love that girl with all my heart

G D

And I don't give a damn about the upper part

G A D

Cause that's how I get my tail.

About The Mermaid Chords by Great Big Sea

Learn how to play The Mermaid by Great Big Sea with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Mermaid chords”, “The Mermaid guitar chords”, or “Great Big Sea The Mermaid chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy The Mermaid chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Mermaid lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include G, D, Bm, E, A, F#m.

FAQ — The Mermaid by Great Big Sea

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Can I transpose "The Mermaid" to a different key?

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Is "The Mermaid" easy to play on guitar?

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What key is "The Mermaid" in?

The chords for "The Mermaid" show the original chord names (including G, D, Bm, E, A, F#m). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.