One Man Down

Underneath a sickle-moon
he retched over the bow
and saw a mermaid in the sea
bid him to her now.

His candle shown like starlight
in the midnight of her hair.
He tried to jump into the ice
and find a true love there.

I will go down with you
to the bottom of the blue.
And if we don’t return
you can have what you have earned.
My bony smile’s for you
when my body’s rotted through.

When he woke up on the deck
he steered his ship toward shore.
He vowed to find his wife and kill
the man she’d left him for.

He’ll say to her “I’m leaving you;
this will be our last fight.
I’ve found love in the icy sea,
I’m going there tonight.”

I will go down with you
to the bottom of the blue.
And if we don’t return
you can have what you have earned.
My bony smile’s for you
when my body’s rotted through.