"Smith's album was shepherded by T Bone Burnett and produced by Emile Kelman," Burnett's longtime studio veteran. Recorded at Electromagnetic Studios and Village Recorders in LA, Burnett's first-call session players on the release include guitarist Marc Ribot and bassist Dennis Crouch, in addition to Bellerose.
Mermaid
Sahara Smith Lyrics
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I saw a picture in a postcard dated 1934.
And it?s probably gone to rust now, but all that silver used to shine.
Anyway that?s? where I?m going if I ever cut loose in time.
Somewhere there?s a mermaid singing oh whoa whoa whoa
I know ?cause I hear it when I?m sinkin? low.
And it?s strange to think of all the special ways that things will never be the same.
And the heart is full of spaces growin? fast and growing deep
Well I dreamed I had a daughter, I was singing her to sleep.
Somewhere there?s a mermaid singing oh whoa whoa whoa
I know ?cause I hear it when I?m sinkin? low.
Well I heard that you got married and that all your dreams came true.
Well it?s midnight here in Texas and I?m happy for you.
Somewhere there?s a mermaid singing oh whoa whoa whoa
I know ?cause I hear it when I?m sinkin??
Somewhere there?s a mermaid singing oh whoa whoa whoa
And I know ?cause I hear it when I?m sinkin? low.
The song “Mermaid” by Sahara Smith is a contemplative piece with a wistful tone. It talks about the longing for something that might not even exist. The song starts by describing a carousel in Pittsburgh that has probably turned to rust now. It seems like the writer finds solace in the fact that something like a carousel, which was once so beautiful, even if it has been destroyed, had the power to bring joy to people. The writer then talks about how they can hear a mermaid singing when they’re feeling low. It is likely a metaphor for the idea of hope and how hope can help us get through tough times.
The song then goes on to talk about an old hotel in Dublin, which has seen its fair share of rains. The writer talks about how things change, and sometimes, it’s hard to accept that they will never be the same. In this context, the mermaid might represent the past and the comfort one can find in remembering better times. Finally, the writer talks about hearing that someone has gotten married, and it’s midnight in Texas. It’s easy to interpret this as a metaphor for a missed opportunity or unrequited love. The song ends with the line, “And I know ‘cause I hear it when I’m sinking low,” reminding us that hope is something we cling on to when we’re feeling lost.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a carousel in Pittsburg, 'least there was before the war
In Pittsburg, there used to be a carousel before the war, but it may not exist anymore.
I saw a picture in a postcard dated 1934.
I saw a picture of the carousel in a postcard that was dated 1934.
And it's probably gone to rust now, but all that silver used to shine.
The carousel may have rusted away by now, but it once used to shine with all its silver.
Anyway that's where I'm going if I ever cut loose in time.
If I ever become free, that's where I want to go - to the carousel in Pittsburg.
Somewhere there's a mermaid singing oh whoa whoa whoa
There is a mythical creature called a mermaid singing somewhere.
I know 'cause I hear it when I'm sinkin' low.
I know this because I hear the mermaid's song when I am feeling down.
There's an old hotel in Dublin growing heavy in the Irish rain,
In Dublin, an old hotel is getting heavier due to the constant rains of Ireland.
And it's strange to think of all the special ways that things will never be the same.
It's strange to think about all the unique things that will never be the same again.
And the heart is full of spaces growin' fast and growing deep
The heart is filling up with empty spaces that are growing quickly and deeply.
Well I dreamed I had a daughter, I was singing her to sleep.
I had a dream where I had a daughter whom I was singing to sleep.
Well I heard that you got married and that all your dreams came true.
I heard that you got married and that all your dreams came true.
Well it's midnight here in Texas and I'm happy for you.
It's midnight in Texas now and I'm glad that you're happy.
Somewhere there's a mermaid singing oh whoa whoa whoa
There is a mythical creature called a mermaid singing somewhere.
I know 'cause I hear it when I'm sinkin'.
I know this because I hear the mermaid's song when I am feeling down.
Somewhere there's a mermaid singing oh whoa whoa whoa
There is a mythical creature called a mermaid singing somewhere.
And I know 'cause I hear it when I'm sinkin' low.
I know this because I hear the mermaid's song when I am feeling down.
Contributed by Carson S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.