The Mermaid- Harmon (TN) 1930 Henry
[From Folk Songs from the Southern Highlands; collected and edited by Mellinger Edward Henry, c 1933. The comment by Barry (p. 368), "No ballad has less interest to the student than this," which is taken out of context by Henry and later referenced by Scarborough, Davis and others who seem to miss the point. Barry was simply trying to say that "The Mermaid" wasn't a popular college song just because the ballad was included in a college song book.
The Harmon's (descendents of Council Harmon NC) are well known purveyors of ballads and folk tales in the region. This version uses the extended last line as found in Child B, C, and D as well as college songbooks in the US.
R. Matteson 2014]
28 THE MERMAID
(Child, No. 289)
Barry-Eckstorm-Smyth (p. 368) remark: "No ballad has less interest to the student than this." For the great popularity of the ballad in song books and for many references to these and to traditional texts, see Cox, No. 33; Davis, No. 48. Cf. also PTFLS, No. 10, pp. 162—163.
Recorded by Mrs. Henry from the singing of Mrs. Samuel Harmon, Cade's Cove, Blount County, Tennessee, August, 1930.
1. Last Friday night, as we set sail, Not being far from land,
I spied a little sea miss
With a comb and glass in her hand, hand, hand;
With a comb and glass in her hand.
2. Up spoke the captain of a very gallant ship,
And a well-spoken man was he:
"I have a wife in Ireland;
This night a widow she will be, be, be;
This night a widow she will be."
3. Up spoke a young man of a very gallant ship,
And a well-spoken man was he:
"I have a sweetheart in that town;
This night she's a-looking for me, me, me;
This night she's a-looking for me."
4. Up spoke the cook, of a very gallant ship,
And a well-spoken woman was she:
"I'd give all of my kittels [1] and all of my pots,
One foot of dry land for to see, see, see;
One foot of dry land for to see."
5. All around and around went our gallant ship,
And around and around went she;
The very next time that she started around
She sank to the bottom of the sea, sea, sea;
She sank to the bottom of the sea.
1. kettles