Uploaded January 2016 | Updated September 2026, 18 minutes ago

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Inspiral Carpets were an alternative rock band from Oldham in Greater Manchester, England that was formed by musicians Graham Lambert and Stephen Holt in 1983. Their sound is characterised by psychedelic influences such as organ playing and distorted guitars.

lyrics :

Mermaid comes up smiling with a grin that's big and wide
She's been swimming and a-swirling
In the lace that she's been wearing and she's

Skipping and a-twirling, spinning in his dreams
Like a shell twists round in spirals
When the tide leaves, when the tide leaves

And the man who almost caught her will search through every ocean
But you can bet there's a hole in his net
That's the reason why he'll never catch her

Skipping and a-twirling, spinning in his dreams
Like a shell twists round in spirals
When the tide leaves, when the tide leaves

For every grain of sand that gets washed up on the land
There's another mermaid smiling and another searching fisherman

Skipping and a-twirling, spinning in his dreams
Like a shell twists round in spirals
When the tide leaves, when the tide leaves

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah