verse 1
Am C G
Once a fair and handsome seal-lord lay his foot upon the sand
Am C G
For to woo the fisher’s daughter and to claim her marriage hand
C G C G
I have come in from the ocean, I have come in from the sea
Am C G Am
And I’ll not go to the waves, love, lest ye come along with me
verse 2
Am C G
Lord, long have I loved you as a selkie on the foam
Am C G
I would gladly go and wed ye and be lady of your home
C G C G
But I cannot go in to ocean, I cannot go into the sea
Am C G Am
I would drown beneath you waves love if I went along with thee
verse 3
Am C G
Lady, long have I loved you: I would have you from my wife
Am C G
I shall stay upon your shore land though it robs me of my life
C G C G
I’ll never go back to the ocean, never go back to the sea
Am C G Am
I shall stay one night beside you though it be the death of me
verse 4
Am C G
Lord I cannot go and wed thee all to watch my lover die
Am C G
Since I’ll not be left a widow I have a plan for us to try
C G C G
Let us speak with my grandmother who’s ever dwelt beside the sea
Am C G Am
She may know some trick or treasure that I may wed my fair selkie
Verse 5
Am C G
So they’ve gone to her grandmother’s little cottage by the sea
Am C G
To inquire how the maiden could be wed to her selkie
C G C G
For the seal-lord’s watery kingdom’d surely rob her of her breath
Am C G Am
But to stay on land past midnight, that would surely be his death
Verse 6
Am C G
Lord I know not how to aid you, you may never live on shore
Am C G
For your kind to live past dawning has never been seen before
C G C G
But my mother had a seal coat that she buried ‘neath a tree
Am C G Am
For she told me any wearer would become a fair selkie
Verse 7
Am C G
So they’ve journeyed farther inland though the seal-lord’s getting weak
Am C G
And she’s shouldering a shovel to unearth that thing they seek
C G C G
And at the rising of the full moon, underneath the elfin oak
Am C G Am
She’s unearthed that very treasure of which her grandmother spoke
Verse 8
Am C G
So just before the stroke of midnight they have made it back to sea
Am C G
And she’s donned that magic seal-coat and become a maid selkie
C G C G
Now they’ve gone into the ocean, hand in hand into the sea
Am C G Am
She has gone along, a fair seal-bride for her selkie