I'm a sailorman 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 wale That waggled in the deep blue sea. CHORUS: An the mermaids looked so beautiful As they swam around by the shore But this merman with his fishy tail I've never seen before. And sailors tell the tallest tales I've never told a lie; He'd a long green tail that could kill a wale 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 did greed. "Then who are you, where do you come from, What do you want here?" Then he shook his tail, it rocked the boat, It filled our hearts with fear. "You've dropped your anchor on my house, Its blocking up me door And my wife, the mermaid, she's trapped inside And my children can't get out no more. Chorus Well, we quickly hoisted anchor, boys And the merman than 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 seas. Now I'm happy and contented, With my wife and family. Though I oft times wish I could go home And life on Ireland's shore. But I'm committed to the ocean deep And I can't go home again no more.