The Mermaid: Song sheet, H. DeMarsan (NY) c1861
[From: H. De Marsan, Publisher, 60 Chatham Street, N. Y. c. 1861; The largest publisher of broadsides (lyric sheets) in New York, was Henry De Marsan and his predecessor, J. Andrews, followed closely by the Wehman Brothers and Magnus. These printers were active publishers of a variety of street literature. A typical De Marsan imprint reads: "H. De Marsan, Publisher of Songs, Ballads, Valentines, Juvenile & Toy-Books, Motto Verses, Stationery, Playing-Cards, A-B-C Cards, &c., 60 Chatham Street, New York."
No information supplied by De Marsan and no date given. Kittredge in the 1917 JAFL dated this circa 1861. The text is similar to the Forget-Me-Not Songster except a second verse has been added and the names of the cities have been changed to New York and Boston. Two earlier songsters 1) the Forecastle Songster. New York, Dick & Fitzgerald, 1849 and 2) Songs of Ireland and other lands: being a collection of the most popular, 1847; have the same texts.
R. Matteson 2014]
THE MERMAID- published by H. De Marsan, Publisher, 60 Chatham Street, N. Y. c. 1861
One Friday morning we set sail;
It was not far from land,
Where I espied a fair mermaid
With a comb and glass in hand.
The stormy winds they did blow,
The raging winds do blow,
While we, poor sailors, go up to the top,
And the land lubbers down below.
The boatswain at the helm stands,
Steering his course right well,
With tears a standing in his eyes,
Saying: How the seas do swell!
Then up spoke a man of our gallant ship,
And a well spoken man was he:
I have married a wife in fair New-York town,
And this night she a widow will be.
Then up spoke a boy of our gallant ship,
And a well spoken boy was he:
I've a father and mother in fair Boston town,
And this night they will weep for me.
Then up spoke the captain of our gallant ship,
And a valiant man was he:
For the want of a long-boat we all shall be drown'd,
And sink to the bottom of the sea.
Now the moon shone bright and the stars gave light,
And my mother is looking for me;
She may look, she may weep with a watery eye,
She may look to the bottom of the sea.
Now three times around went our gallant ship,
And three times around went she:
And three times around went our gallant ship,
When she sunk to the bottom of the sea.