She fir… Read Full Bio ↴Maz O'Connor is a singer of traditional and original folk songs.
She first started singing at Folkworks summer schools as a teenager and then as guest singer with Last Orders, winners of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award. After several summers of festivals with Last Orders and three years out to study for an English degree, Maz released her debut album, 'Upon a Stranger Shore', on Demon Barber Sounds in July 2012. The album was described as 'an enchanting debut' by Froots magazine and led to a tour supporting the sell-out show 'The Lock In' in Spring 2013.
In 2013 Maz and the English Folk Dance and Song Society were awarded one years funding by the BBC Performing Arts Fund, and Maz spent the year working with the EFDSS as a creative fellow. She was one of 19 U.K. based artists supported by the scheme for 2013.
Also in 2013 she performed with the RSC as the singer for the Stratford-Upon-Avon production of 'As You Like It' with music written by Laura Marling.
The Grey Selkie
Maz O'Connor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And await the night that's closing in
Little know I my bairn's father
(?) the land that he dwells in
He came one night into my bed
Both rough and smooth was he
Saying
Will you take me for a lover
I am a man upon the land
And I am a selkie on the sea
And when I'm far, far from land
My home
It is in Skule Skerry
It shall come to pass on a summer's day
When the sun shines down on ever stone
I'll come to fetch my little son
And teach him to swim all in the foam
And a fine young man you shall marry
A fine young man I'm sure he'll be
And the very first time he goes a-hunting
He'll shoot my little son and me
Here I sit and here I sing
And await the night that's closing in
Little know I my bairn's father
But it's with him my sorrows did begin
The Grey Selkie by Maz O'Connor is a haunting and melancholy ballad about a woman who has been seduced by a selkie, a seal who can transform into a human. She sings of her sorrow and longing as she awaits the nightfall, not knowing who the father of her child is or where he comes from. The selkie who fathered her child came to her one night, both rough and smooth, and asked her to take him as a lover, but he could never be her husband. He is a man on the land and a selkie on the sea. He tells her that his home is in Skule Skerry and that he will come back to take their son on a summer's day to teach him how to swim in the foam. He also tells her that their son will grow up to be a fine young man but will eventually shoot him and his father while hunting.
The song speaks to the longing and difficulties that come with love and relationships. The woman is left with a child and no knowledge of who his father really is or where he comes from. She is left to ponder the nature of the selkie who came into her life and whether or not he truly loved her. The selkie represents an otherworldly presence that is both alluring and dangerous, a force that can bring both pleasure and sorrow. The woman's pain and sorrow are palpable in the song as she contemplates the future of her child and the love that she has lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I sit and here I sing
I'm sitting here alone, singing to myself
And await the night that's closing in
I'm waiting for the night to arrive
Little know I my bairn's father
I don't know who the father of my child is
(?) the land that he dwells in
I have no idea where he lives
He came one night into my bed
One night, a man came to my bed
Both rough and smooth was he
He was both gentle and forceful
Saying
He spoke these words to me
Will you take me for a lover
Do you want to be my lover?
For your husband I ne'er can be
I can never be your husband
I am a man upon the land
I'm a man who lives on land
And I am a selkie on the sea
But I'm also a selkie who lives in the sea
And when I'm far, far from land
When I'm out at sea, far from land
My home
My home is
It is in Skule Skerry
In Skule Skerry
It shall come to pass on a summer's day
One day in summer
When the sun shines down on ever stone
When the sun is shining on every stone
I'll come to fetch my little son
He'll come to take our son
And teach him to swim all in the foam
And teach him to swim in the ocean's waves
And a fine young man you shall marry
He'll have a good life and marry a great woman
A fine young man I'm sure he'll be
He'll be a great man, I know it
And the very first time he goes a-hunting
But the first time he goes hunting
He'll shoot my little son and me
He'll accidentally shoot and kill our son and then me
Here I sit and here I sing
I'm still sitting here, singing
And await the night that's closing in
And still waiting for the night to come
Little know I my bairn's father
I'm still unsure who the father of my child is
But it's with him my sorrows did begin
But I know for sure that all my troubles started with him
Contributed by Matthew W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TheNashjim
Beautiful voice and fabulous version!!
@hawthornleaf5909
Very nice indeed, and an interesting retelling of the tale, I have long loved The Great Silkie as performed by Trees from 1970. This is fresh and beautifully performed and very compelling.
@folkmusicgirl
Lovely, lovely voice. Crystal clear soprano - great folk voice! Do you ever tour in California? Some good venues including many house concerts for folk singers.
@tdbsnr
Fabulous.
@suzannelawson9215
Is this song on a CD of yours?