Mermaid

I think this song has to do with real life. Like, okay, here's is this individual. She's lovely the way she is, absolutely extraodinary (she's a mermaid, come on). But, she doesn't think so (obviously) because she "sells her voice" as well as her tail to become like every other person on this planet. Then she regrets it, because her feet always bleed. as opposed to the comment above, i thought it was a sad song!

Running with the idea that she gave up what makes her unique; She comes off as a childish, imaginative individual who's trying to be 'grown up'. But the truth is, it's not really working out for her.

She's suppressing who she is because it makes her (for lack of a better word) weird. But as a result, she lacks substance. Others may find her boring because they're missing an important aspect of her personality.

Voice and tail in exchange for bleeding feet. Imagination and childhood toys for gin and cocaine. (i'm having trouble putting my thoughts into words. bear with me.)

I love this song. In the original version, it's actually a really sad story (as someone mentioned) and I'm pretty sure that every time she walks, she feels like there's blades in her feet or something. And the whole story is about unrequited love, with an unhappy ending. I don't know if Regina meant to connect that story, but that's what I thought of. How she sold her voice, but it's not really worth it because he (or whatever else it could be a metaphor for) is not worth it in the end.

Maybe it's my artritis, and constant aching in my feet, or something else (like my total lack of vocal ability) but somehow it's like this song IS me. The first time I heard it I got this really cosy feeling of being home and belonging, and whenever I'm upset and listen to Mermaid I feel alright again...

It's funny what a song can do to you.

Haha, yeah I see what you mean by your enterpratation and I totally agree with it. It's just that although the story is so sad, it's told in such a cheerful way (with the melody of the song and it's humoristic refrences) that you still don't get sad when you listen to it. At least I don't... I also think the character, the mermaid, is coming to terms with her lost voice and bleeding feet (or bad choices as you put it) and that the verse "I was so lonely walking out of that store... ...took it home and named it mozart" is there to reflect, as the old saying goes "when a door closes, a window opens up". She lost the man in the record store but then got a plant. Although theese two "friends" hardly can compare with each other, a plant is better than being alone and you can't go on regreting the past forever. Afterwards she gets rid of her tail and gets on with her life, instead of spending forever wondering what could have been. Despite everything I think it's a happy song.

FWIW, the idea of the mermaid selling her voice for a pair of bleeding feet is from "The Little Sea-Maid" by Hans Christian Andersen. The little sea-maid is in love with the prince and wants to be human, so she sells her voice (just like the Disney version) and receives a pair of feet that bleed when she walks or dances (not quite like the Disney version =P).

As for the meaning of the song, I think adkonz is dead on.

I think that this song is about a girl who traded her best aspects to fit in... Because much like me I've never fit in but I've always kind of longed for it. I think what it means is that if you aren't yourself then you aren't ever going to feel anything..

is there any chance someone could send me this song? i cannot find it anywhere :(

I think the above people have covered the meaning pretty well. She's gotten rid of what made her unique so that she could fit in, but fitting in isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Also, where the lyrics say "no matter how clean," I think she says "no matter how I plead" or, at least, that's what she says in the version I've heard.

i love this song and i think it really sums up the fact that sometimes we want something untill we get it and the grass isnt always greener on the other side...