The Mermaid (ballad): Difference between revisions
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The song belongs in the category of sea ballads, being a song sailors sung during their time off and not while they worked, but is more commonly thought of as a [[sea shanty]].<ref>{{harvnb|Atkinson|1998|p=440}}</ref> It is well known in American folk tradition, and the text has appeared in many forms in both print and oral mediums.<ref name=Niles325>{{harvnb|Niles|2000|p=325}}</ref><ref name=CH&N286>{{harvnb|Cazden|Haufrecht|Studer|1983|p=262}}</ref> The ballad remains part of American culture as a song sung at camps operated by the Boy Scouts of America as well as in public school music education classes.<ref>{{harvnb|Hillcourt|1961|p=20}}</ref> |
The song belongs in the category of sea ballads, being a song sailors sung during their time off and not while they worked, but is more commonly thought of as a [[sea shanty]].<ref>{{harvnb|Atkinson|1998|p=440}}</ref> It is well known in American folk tradition, and the text has appeared in many forms in both print and oral mediums.<ref name=Niles325>{{harvnb|Niles|2000|p=325}}</ref><ref name=CH&N286>{{harvnb|Cazden|Haufrecht|Studer|1983|p=262}}</ref> The ballad remains part of American culture as a song sung at camps operated by the Boy Scouts of America as well as in public school music education classes.<ref>{{harvnb|Hillcourt|1961|p=20}}</ref> |
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The ballad describes a ship that left port, its misadventure and eventual sinking. The moral of the song is [[ |
The ballad describes a ship that left port, its misadventure and eventual sinking. The moral of the song is [[Mermaid|mermaids]] are a sign of an impending shipwreck.<ref name="NelsonBurns" /> It is sung from the point of view of a crew member of the ship, which sunk without any survivors. Often the ship is said to be departing on a Friday morning, but there are other versions of the lyrics including one that has it leaving on a Saturday night.<ref name=Niles326>{{harvnb|Niles|2000|p=326}}</ref><ref name=CH&N286 /> On the way out to sea, the captain sees a mermaid with a "comb and a glass in her hand".<ref name=Niles326 /> Three parallel stanzas most often follow describing how three of the crew members would rather be somewhere else than at the ocean floor. For example, the cook would rather be with his pots and pans.<ref name=CH&N286 /> The home of the crew members varies from version to version, but it has been assigned to almost every port town in Britain and the East Coast of the United States. The ship then goes around three times and sinks without any survivors.<ref name=CH&N263>{{harvnb|Cazden|Haufrecht|Studer|1983|p=263}}</ref> |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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Revision as of 12:42, 16 August 2012
The Mermaid is Child Ballad #289. Dating to around the mid-18th century, this song is known by a number of names, including Waves on the Sea,[1] The Stormy Winds[2] and The Wrecked Ship.[1]
The song belongs in the category of sea ballads, being a song sailors sung during their time off and not while they worked, but is more commonly thought of as a sea shanty.[3] It is well known in American folk tradition, and the text has appeared in many forms in both print and oral mediums.[4][5] The ballad remains part of American culture as a song sung at camps operated by the Boy Scouts of America as well as in public school music education classes.[6]
The ballad describes a ship that left port, its misadventure and eventual sinking. The moral of the song is mermaids are a sign of an impending shipwreck.[1] It is sung from the point of view of a crew member of the ship, which sunk without any survivors. Often the ship is said to be departing on a Friday morning, but there are other versions of the lyrics including one that has it leaving on a Saturday night.[7][5] On the way out to sea, the captain sees a mermaid with a "comb and a glass in her hand".[7] Three parallel stanzas most often follow describing how three of the crew members would rather be somewhere else than at the ocean floor. For example, the cook would rather be with his pots and pans.[5] The home of the crew members varies from version to version, but it has been assigned to almost every port town in Britain and the East Coast of the United States. The ship then goes around three times and sinks without any survivors.[8]
Notes
- ^ a b c Nelson-Burns
- ^ Atkinson 1998, p. 446
- ^ Atkinson 1998, p. 440
- ^ Niles 2000, p. 325
- ^ a b c Cazden, Haufrecht & Studer 1983, p. 262
- ^ Hillcourt 1961, p. 20
- ^ a b Niles 2000, p. 326
- ^ Cazden, Haufrecht & Studer 1983, p. 263
References and bibliography
- Atkinson, David (1998). "The Child Ballads from England and Wales in the James Madison Carpenter Collection". Folk Music Journal. 7 (4).
{{cite journal}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Cazden, Norman; Haufrecht, Herbert; Studer, Norman (1983). Folk Songs of the Catskills. State University of New York Press. ISBN 0-87395-580-3.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Hilcourt, Bill (1961). "Green Bar Bill Says: Keep Your Feet Dry". Boy's Life. Boy Scouts of America.
{{cite journal}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Nelson-Burns, Lesley. "The Mermaid". Retrieved 8 August 2012.
{{cite web}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Niles, John Jacob (2000). The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0813109876.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)
External links
- Lyrics: The Mermaid
- Alternate Version of the Lyrics: The Mermaid