Tuning:

Verse 1:

So I ^Gsaid,^Ammen, pull her ^Cout of the water and ^Gthen Lay on ^Amhands and ^Cbind back her flippers and ^Gtail ^AmUntil inter^Cnational waters and ^Gthere We'll ^Amfeel, all that's ^Chuman inside of her

Riff: E 3-5-7-5-3 3 B 5-3-3 G D A E Verse 2:

So she's ^Gchilly and ^Amslick on her ^Chips where the scales meet with ^Gskin With the ^Amsickening ^Cflick of her tail ^GCircling her ^Amgills filled with ^Ccold salty water And she ^Gthrashes and ^Amtwirls aah the ^Cfreezing fins flutter

[Riff]

But she's ^Gpretty, I ^Amthink with her ^Chair dark as ink. And her ^Gbelly, bone ^Amwhite. and her ^Clips of a slight seashell ^Gpink lightly ^Ampart And she's ^Ctonging the tubs rusty ^Grim As the ^Amsalt Of the ^Cwater it flows out of it.

[Riff]

Oh fare^Cwells is to the ^Fland we know ^Gwell We'll ^Cnever be ^Ftouching ^Gagain. To ^Cfields where we ^Frambled and ^Gran. Fare^Cwell to our ^Fwives and ^Gchildren. Let's ^Cstand on the ^Fdeck and lets ^Gwatch They're ^Call ^Fdisa^Gppearing.

[Riff x2] The placement of the chords and the riff follows that pattern for the rest of the song. And the days all float by and the days over waves Under sky and the weeks slowly leak into years. The last islands are all left behind as we silently sail Until late some dark night a wild wind starts to wail And our map blows away and our compasses fail And it's out on the lost boiling black water where I see her float out She's so thin and so pale. I see her rise up. she's so fast and so fair. My hands knead and they press to a point in the air. Then my mouth fills with a panicking prayer My skull fills with more color than care. Then my heart fills with love with too much love to bear. And I know if I stay that she'll always be there My hands soak in cold sand seaweed swam through her hair Oooooh la la la la Laaaaa la la la la

Okkervil River - Mermaid