I'm a sailor man from Wexford town, I've sailed the seven seas
I will tell you a true story of the sunny Southern Seas
We were caught up in the doldrums while waiting for a breeze
When the stillness of the day was broke
By a merman in the deep blue seas

Well, the captain, he slept below while the crew, they lay about
When down in the ocean, boys, we heard this mighty shout
His hair was red, his eyes were green
His beard was floating free
He'd a long green tail that could kill a whale
That waggled in the deep blue sea

[Chorus]
And the mermaids looked so beautiful
As they swam around by the shore
But this merman with his fishy tail
I'd never seen before
And sailors tell the tallest tales
I never told a lie
He'd a long green tail that could kill a whale
That wobbled as he swam close by

Was it Neptune that appeared to us
From his mansions in the deep?
Then the cook O'Toole, then he ran below
Woke the captain from his sleep
And the captain came on deck at once
Took a look into the deep
"Oh, I've never seen the likes of this!"
The merman, then, he soon agreed
"Then who are you, what do you come from?
What do you want here?"
Then he shook his tail, he rocked our boat
It filled our hearts with fear
"You've dropped your anchor on my house
It's blocking up me door!
And my wife, the mermaid, she's trapped inside
And my children can't get out no more"

[Chorus]
And the mermaids looked so beautiful
As they swam around by the shore
But this merman with his fishy tail
I'd never seen before
And sailors tell the tallest tales
I never told a lie
He'd a long green tail that could kill a whale
That wobbled as he swam close by

Well, we quickly hoisted anchor, boys
And the merman then did smile
"Sure, me name is Patrick John O'Rourke
I came from Erin's Isle
It was many years ago from now
I was shipwrecked on the reef
When this pretty mermaid, she rescued me
From the perils of the ocean deep
And we very soon were married
Way down in the deep blue sea
Now I'm happy and contented
With me wife and family
Though I oft times wished I could go home
And live on Ireland's shore
But I'm committed to the ocean deep
And I can't go home again no more"
[Chorus]
And the mermaids looked so beautiful
As they swam around by the shore
But this merman with his fishy tail
I'd never seen before
And sailors tell the tallest tales
I never told a lie
He'd a long green tail that could kill a whale
That wobbled as he swam close by

[Chorus]
And the mermaids looked so beautiful
As they swam around by the shore
But this merman with his fishy tail
I'd never seen before
And sailors tell the tallest tales
I never told a lie
He'd a long green tail that could kill a whale
That wobbled as he swam close by