Der Aberglaube, dass das Anschauen einer Meerjungfrau das Pech und einen Schiffsunglück bringe, ist sehr alt.  Lieder über Meerjungfrauen sind aber etwas selten. Dies ist ein traditionelles Lied und wurde wahrscheinlich von einem Unbekannten in der 18. Jahrhundert komponiert. Es ist heute in verschiedenen Formen bekannt, und die Version hier veröffentlicht wurde von Sänger Mike Williams als Kind an der Schule gelernt.

'Twas a Friday morn when we set sail
And our ship not far from the land
When we did espy a fair pretty maid
With a comb and a glass in her hand
Her hand, her hand
With a comb and a glass in her hand

CH- And the raging seas do roar
   And the stormy winds do blow
   And we jolly sailor boys were up, were up, were up
   And the landlubbers lying down below, below, below
   And the landlubbers lying down below

And up spoke the captain of our gallant ship
Who at once our peril did see
I have married me a wife in fair Boodle town
But this night she a widow will be
Will be, will be
But this night she a widow will be

And then up spake our little cabin boy
And a fair-haired lad was he
I've a father and mother in fair Salford town
And this night they will weep for me
For me, for me
And this night they will weep for me

And then three times around went our gallant ship
Three times round went she
For the want of a long boat they both went down
And they sank to the bottom of the sea
The sea, the sea
And they sank to the bottom of the sea