I am reconstructing from ancient memory the lyrics to an American ballad called "The Locktender's Lament". It was recorded by Burl Ives, most likely on his album "Songs For and About Men", and there are no lyrics listed anywhere in the DT or on the web for it.

The chorus as he recorde it was lines interspersed by a measure of whistling.

The words I remember are:

Oh, I am the locktender at lock number ten,
And I whistle and sing every now and again.
I will tell you the story about how and when
I once met a mermaid at lock number ten!

CH: Oh, a locktender's life may be happy and gay
(Whistle)
But probably not many see it that way
Whistle

One night as the moon shone on lock number ten
I heard a halloo and I heard it again
And there shining whitely against the lock wall
I spied a young mermaid, her flipper and all.

Alt. CH: Oh, a locktender's life may be happy and gay
(Whistle)
But probably not on the Monon-gay-halee
(Whistle)

"'T is government property, Madame," I said.
She gave me a letter, which drippingly read:
"All rights and all privileges, Lizzie my dear,
Singed General Tom Muskrat, the Chief Engineer".

Cho.

I said to her "Lizzie, you'll soon catch your death!"
She said to me "Guvnor, I 'm catching my breath!
I have swum from the sea to the Monongahalee
Just to find Jackie Swabby, my husband to be."

I said to her "Lizzie, young Jack is me son.
I am sorry to tell you, his family's begin!
And I'm the grandfather of triplets, you see,
His name is Jack Swabby, of the U.S. Nae-veee."

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I believe there is another verse or two I have forgotten and I have not been able, after due diligence, to find the lyrics anywhere.

Anyone out there have this recording, know where the song comes from, or have the lyrics? Many thanks.

Amos