Great Big Sea - The Mermaid Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to A key to play this song with easier chords.
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Bm chord diagram
Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar F#m | G♭m chord diagram
[Opening]
[D]When I was a lad in a fishing town me [G]old man said to me [D]
“You can spend your life, your jolly life just sai[Bm]ling on the sea.[A]
You can [D]search the world for pretty girls ’til your [G]eyes are weak and [F#m]dim,
But [G]don’t go searching for [D]a mermaid, son [Bm]
If you [G]don’t know [A]how to [D]swim”
[chorus]
[G]‘Cause her hair was green as [D]seaweed
Her [G]skin was blue and [D]pale
Her [G]face it was [D]a work of art,
I [G]loved that girl [D]with all my heart
But I on[G]ly liked [D]the upper part [Bm]
I [G]did not [A]like the [D]tail
[verse 2]
I [D]I signed on board a sailing ship, my [G]very first day at [D]sea
I seen a Mermaid in the waves a [Bm]reaching out to [A]me
Come [D]live with me in the sea said she, [G]down on the ocean [F#m]floor
And I’ll [G]show you a million [D]wondrous things,
you’ve [G]never [A]seen be[D]fore
So [D]over I jumped and she pulled me down, [G]down to her seaweed [D]bed.
And a pillow made of a tortoise shell she [Bm]placed beneath my [A]head
She [D]fed me shrimp and caviar [G]upon a silver [F#m]dish
From her [G]head to her waist it was [D]just my taste
But the [G]rest of [A]her was a [D]fish
[chorus]
[G]‘Cause her hair was green as [D]seaweed
Her [G]skin was blue and [D]pale
Her [G]face it was [D]a work of art,
I [G]loved that girl [D]with all my heart
But I on[G]ly liked [D]the upper part [Bm]
I [G]did not [A]like the [D]tail
[Closing]
[D]But then one day, she swam away, so I [G]sang to the clams and the [D]whales
“Oh how I miss her seaweed hair, and the [Bm]silver shine of her scales”
But [D]then her sister, she swam by and [G]set my heart [F#m]awhirl
Cause her [G]upper part was an [D]ugly fish but her [G]bottom [A]part was a [D]girl
[G]‘Her toes are pink and [D]rosy [D]
Her [G]knees are smooth and pale [D]
Her [G]legs they are a work of [D]art, I [G]love that girl with all my [D]heart
But I don’t [G]give a damn about the upper [D]part [Bm]
Cause [G]that’s how I [A]get my [D]tail.
How to play The Mermaid on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Great Big Sea - The Mermaid on guitar requires 5 chords and 7 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
The Mermaid uses these transitions most often: D → G (26), G → D (23), and A → D (10). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with D - G chord transition.
1. D → G chord transition
To move from D to G;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
2. D → Bm chord transition
To move from D to Bm;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 4.
- Place pinky on G string fret 4.
3. Bm → A chord transition
To move from Bm to A;
- While playing Bm, lift your pinky from G string fret 4.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from D string fret 4 and place it on B string fret 2.
4. A → D chord transition
To move from A to D;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 2 to fret 3.
5. G → F#m chord transition
To move from G to F#m;
- While playing G, lift your middle finger from E string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 3 to A string fret 4.
- Place pinky on D string fret 4.
6. Bm → G chord transition
To move from Bm to G;
- While playing Bm, lift your pinky from G string fret 4.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 3 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from D string fret 4 and place it on E string fret 3.
7. G → A chord transition
To move from G to A;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 2.
The Mermaid chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in The Mermaid.
- The Mermaid includes 90 chord transitions, 7 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- The Mermaid contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how The Mermaid connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
- D → G: 29%
- D → Bm: 5%
After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).- G → D: 24%
- G → A: 6%