The Fisherman and His Wife | Brothers Grimm (Nik Bear)
The Lyrical Literacy podcast presents a musical retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale "The Fisherman and His Wife." This catchy adaptation follows a poor fisherman who catches a magical talking fish that grants wishes. As his wife Ilsabill's demands escalate from a cottage to a castle, then to becoming king, emperor, pope, and finally ruler of the cosmos, the sea grows darker with each request. The repeating chorus reminds listeners about the dangers of insatiable greed, as the couple ultimately loses everything and returns to their humble pigsty.
This fairy tale originated in German folklore and was collected by the Brothers Grimm in the early 19th century. The story serves as a timeless cautionary tale about the consequences of greed and the importance of contentment.
The Fisherman and His Wife
There once was a man by the wide blue sea
Who lived in a pigsty, sad as could be
He fished all day with his toes in the sand
Till a talking fish flopped into his hand
Oh a wish a wish what would you say
A fish who grants when you call his way
One wish granted and then one more
But greedy hearts keep asking for more
Home ran the man to his wife Ilsabill
Who said a cottage would suit us still
So back to the waves the fisherman sped
And the fish made a cottage with garden and bed
But a cottage grew small in Ilsabill's dreams
So she asked for a castle with towers and streams
Again to the fish the fisherman went
And the sea grew darker with each wish sent
Oh a wish a wish what would you say
A fish who grants when you call his way
One wish granted and then one more
But greedy hearts keep asking for more
Soon Ilsabill cried I must be a king
And the fish though tired still granted the thing
She ruled with a crown and a scepter high
But already she stared with a hungrier eye
Then came the cry for the emperor's seat
And then for the pope with the world at her feet
Each wish twisted the sky and shore
And the fisherman feared what would come next door
Oh a wish a wish what would you say
A fish who grants when you call his way
One wish granted and then one more
But greedy hearts keep asking
At last Ilsabill wild with delight
Cried tell him I’ll rule the sun and the night
The fisherman shook as he stood by the sea
And whispered his prayer in a storming plea
The fish looked up from the churning shore
And said no more no more no more
And back to the pigsty they tumbled down
No castle no crown no emperor's gown
Oh a wish a wish what would you say
A fish who grants when you call his way
One wish granted and then one more
But greedy hearts keep asking for more
#FairyTaleSongs #GreedAndConsequences #BrothersGrimm #LyricalLiteracy #WishfulThinking
Lyrics (with some back and forth and editing) created with the Lyrical Literacy Lullabize software https://www.humanitarians.ai/lullabize
Humanitarians AI https://music.apple.com/us/artist/humanitarians-ai/1781414009 https://open.spotify.com/artist/3cj3R4pDpYQHaWx0MM2vFV https://music.youtube.com/channel/UC5PUIUdDRqnCoOMlgoAtFUg https://humanitarians.musinique.com https://www.humanitarians.ai/
Nik Bear Brown
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0hSpFCJodAYMP2cWK72zI6?si=9Fx2UusBQHi3tTyVEAoCDQ
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/nik-bear-brown/1779725275
https://nikbear.musinique.com
