Silkie lyrics

Song information

Artist: Joan Baez
Album: Joan Baez, Vol. 2

Lyrics

An earthly nurse sits and sings
And aye she sings a lily wean -
"Little ken I my bairn's father
Far less the land that he dwells in."

For he's come one night to her bed's foot
And a grumly guest I'm sure he'd be
Saying, "here am i, thy bairn's father
Although I be not comely

"I am a man upon the land
I am a silkie in the sea
And when I'm far and far from land
My home it is the sule skerrie."

And he has ta'en a purse of gold
And he had placed it upon her knee
Saying, "give to me my little young son
And take thee up thy nurse's fee

"And I will come one summer's day
When the sun shine's bright on every stane
I'll come and fetch my little young son
And teach him how to swim the faem

"And ye shall marry a gunner bold
And a right fine gunner I'm sure he'll be
And the very first shot that ever he shoots
Will kill both my young son and me."