Burl Ives — The Eddystone Light

My father was the keeper of the Eddystone Light And he slept with a mermaid one fine night From this union there came three A porpoise and a porgy and the other was me Yo, ho, ho, the wind blows free, oh, for a life on the rolling sea One night while I was a-trimmin' of the glim A-singin' a verse from the evening hymn A voice from the starboard shouted, "Ahoy!" And there was my mother a-sittin' on a buoy Yo, ho, ho, the wind blows free, oh, for a life on the rolling sea "Oh, what has become of my children three?" My mothеr then she asked of mе "One was exhibited as a talking fish And the other was served in a chafing dish" Yo, ho, ho, the wind blows free, oh, for a life on the rolling sea Then the phosphorus flashed in her seaweed hair I looked again, and my mother wasn't there A voice come a-echoing out through the night: "To Hell with the keeper of the Eddystone Light!" Yo, ho, ho, the wind blows free, oh, for a life on the rolling sea