Songfacts®:

• Florence Welch's haunting vocals and moody, densely layered instrumentals combine to create "Mermaids," a deeply introspective track that delves into her wild party days. In the song, Welch paints a picture of herself and other women like her as mermaids, with "sharp teeth" and a dangerous allure that can break the hearts of unsuspecting sailors.
  
  And with your mermaid hair and your teeth so sharp
  You crawled from the sea to break that sailor's heart
  You only get one night upon the shore
  So dance like you've never danced before
  
  As she sings about crawling out of the sea and onto the shore to dance like there's no tomorrow, it's clear that Welch is reminiscing about a time in her life when she was more carefree and reckless. But there's a darkness to the track as well, as she warns men not to be fooled by the mermaids' beauty, as they're only interested in a fleeting one-night stand.
• While the idea of mermaids as malevolent creatures might seem at odds with the more benevolent depictions of them in other folklore and literature, it's a common thread that runs throughout many cultures. From Hans Christian Andersen's vain and spiteful mermaids to the Sirens of Greek mythology, who lured sailors to their deaths with their beautiful voices, the idea of mermaids as dangerous and alluring has been a recurring theme for centuries.
• During the second verse, Welch takes us back to her wild party days from her late teens and early 20s, a time when she was forming Florence + the Machine and embarking on a musical journey that would take her to the top of the charts.
  
  She sings of the gritty reality of those days, of the pain and the pavement slick with rain, but also of the moments of pure joy and abandon. Welch remembers the crap clubs and drugs, and the girls who smelled like Britney Spears and coconuts, evoking a sense of nostalgia for a time that was both exhilarating and fraught with danger.
• Florence Welch co-wrote and co-produced "Mermaids" with Glass Animals' Dave Bayley. The song began to take shape during their sessions for Welch's Dance Fever album, but it wasn't until Welch broke her foot during a performance at London's O2 Arena on November 18, 2022, that the track really came together. With Welch laid up and unable to perform, she and Bayley had the time and space to focus on completing "Mermaids," bringing it to life with their shared creative vision. The singer released the track as part of the Complete Edition of Dance Fever on April 21, 2023.
• A mermaid is a mythical creature with the head and upper body of a human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. There are many songs about mermaids, from traditional folk songs to modern pop tunes. Here are a few of the most popular:
  
  1827 "Die Lorelei" by Heinrich Heine
  
  The Lorelei is a German folk song about a rock on the River Rhine that is transformed into a mermaid or siren. The creature uses their captivating but deadly allure to lure unsuspecting sailors to their doom.
  
  1964 "Aqua Marina" by Gary Miller
  
  Written for the British television series Stingray, this song is sung from the perspective of a man who is in love with a mermaid.
  
  1965 "The Mermaid" by Shel Silverstein
  
  A fisherman falls in love with a mermaid, but her fishlike lower half conflicts him.
  
  1989 "Part of Your World" by Jodi Benson.
  
  This classic Disney song features Ariel, a mermaid, singing about her fascination with the human world.
  
  1989 "Under The Sea" by Disney's Sebastian
  
  The crab in The Little Mermaid encourages Ariel to embrace the wonders of life under the sea instead of joining the human world.
  
  1998 "When Mermaids Cry" by Eagle Eyed Cherry
  
  The song tells the story of a woman who commits suicide by drowning and becomes a mermaid. Cherry sings this from the perspective of the woman's lover, who mourns her death.
  
  2007 "Girl in the Sea" by No More Kings
  
  The song narrates a sailor's love for a mermaid and his willingness to risk everything to be with her, entranced by her alluring beauty.
  
  2012 "Mermaid" by Train
  
  This Latin-tinged pop rock song describes a man's love for a mermaid and his desire to be with her.