Once upon a time... There lived a lady on the North Sea shore Lay the bent to the bonnie broom She had two daughters that she adored Fa la la la la la la la la la The youngest daughter born to sweet delight The eldest daughter born to greed and spite A knight came for the fairest in the land He was promised the young girl's hand Grimmest envy in the elder grew She planned to steal her sister's lover true "Oh darling sister won't you come with me?" "To watch the swans swimming in the sea" On the rocks where the mermaids sing The elder sister pushed the younger in "Oh cruel sister please let me live" "And all that's mine to you I'll give" "I'll take your true love and I'll take more" "For I will never let you come ashore"
The fair girl drowned beneath the North Sea foam Her broken body washed up on the stones Three wytches found her in the dead of night And wove a spell to put her soul to right They made a harp out of her skin and bone The tuning pegs made from her finger bones They took nine locks of her golden hair And with them strung that Harp so rare They took the harp to her mother's hall And set it down to play before them all The Harp of d**h began to play alone The sweetest song to melt a heart of stone Golden Strings rang out a truthful sound The elder sister has the younger drowned Strings of sorrow made of golden curls Wreak their vengeance on the black-haired girl The song it ends here dark and low And surely the blood will flow