A Quest!

[tcepsa]

Once upon a time (quite possibly back in Minnesota) they ended a day of the Renaissance Festival by singing The Mermaid, Backwards! I found it very clever and amusing, but cannot seem to locate the lyrics to it on the web so it is to you that I now turn. If you know the lyrics, I'd very much like to have them ^_^

I don't remember very precisely how it went (it was some time ago and the thing that triggered this search now is that I recently heard the version in which the song is sung in the more traditional forwards manner). However, I believe the first verse went something like this:

And three times 'round
Spun our gallant ship
Yes three times round spun she
Oh three times 'round
Spun our gallant ship
And rose up from the bottom of the sea

Comments

[knotsteve.livejournal.com]

Now you've got *me* curious...

I did a fairly hefty search for these lyrics, but couldn't find any reference to this version of the song, even. It must have been a version specific to a given festival, that never made it's way on the web, proper.

I run into that kind of thing a lot -- each renfaire out there has a couple of song variations which are specific to the local faire -- sometimes they make it on the web, sometimes they're printed in the program book, but a lot of the time it's stored solely in the heads of the people singing it.

Best bet - try to figure out *where* you heard it, then try to contact someone who works there. You might get lucky.

(BTW, we met this past Saturday and talked quite a bit -- I'm the guy who understood the "||" in your badge name... Looks like we have other similar interests. Mind if I friend you?)

[tcepsa.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear that you had no better luck than I--on the one hand it's kind of disappointing (and surprising!) that they aren't on the web anywhere. On the other hand, it's kind of neat that there are still some traditions that are carried on orally (or at least with good ol' fashioned paper and ink ;)

It was great meeting you and chatting with you on Saturday, and I don't mind at all if you friend me. I hope it was not too presumptuous of me to friend you in return ^_^

[knotsteve.livejournal.com]

It's kind of interesting how much of that oral tradition still exists. I have a strong interest in folk music, and a lot of that is still transferred by word of mouth, or at best paper. (It also gets changed constantly as it passes from person to person - we call that the Folk Process...)

All friended back and forth now. I also recalled, finally, why I had looked up your DO profile in the first place -- I saw a post you made in another LJ about Settlers and rope-y goodness at camp. (I have 3 different editions of Settlers, plus a bunch of the varients.)