Lyrics

THE SELKIE

I heard a mother lull her bairn
and aye she rocked and aye she sang
I know not where they father be
He travels both in land and sea.

CHOURS
I am a man upon the land
I am a selkie in the sea
And when I'm far frae every strand
My dwelling is in Sule Skerry.

It happened on a certain day
When this fair lady fell asleep
That in came a good gray Selkie
And set him down at her bed feet.

"Awake awake my pretty maid
For oh how sound as thou dost sleep
I'll tell where thy bairn's father be
He's sitting close at thy bed feet."

CHOURS

Now he had taken a purse of gold
And he has put it upon her knee
Saying Gi'e to me my wee young son
And take thee up thy nursery fee"

But how shall I my young son know
When thou ha' taken him far frae me
"The one who wears the chain of gold
among a' the selkies shall be he."

CHOURS

Alas alas this woeful fate
This weary' fate's been laid for me
And once or twice she sobbed and sighed
And her tender heart did break in three

My son he's he is a man upon the land
He's a Selkie in the sea
And when he's far away from me
His dwelling is in Sule Skerry.


Bairn-baby
gi'e-give
frae-from
MISSING THE 'S' (elkie) IN THE VOCABULARY SECTION
Selkie--a mythological creature able to become human by taking off their seal skins, and can return to seal form by donning the seal skin again.

Sule Skerry-is an extremely remote rocky island in the North Atlantic off the north coast of Scotland

Song: Trad.

Lead vocal: Delta
Background vocal: Joe Podlesney
Violin: Chris Devine
Guitars: Joe Podlesney
Keyboard: Joe Podlesney
Bass: Joe Podlesney