Marina Diamandis

Released: November 23, 2007

Songwriter: MARINA

Producer: MARINA

[Verse 1]
Grandpa was a miner and he gave me my black art
Bitter rivers of black coal dust tore our country apart
Covered in coal dust, waking up too early in the morning
Covered in coal dust, waiting for the moment the canary sings

[Verse 2]
Mama was a mermaid and a Carnaby Street gal
She could have been a model but she spent her life mopping up spilt milk
Covered in sea salt, would he, could he be home when the stars came out to party
Covered in sea salt, yeah I know it was my fault that he always ran away because he didn't want me

[Chorus 1]
Oh, daddy was a sailor
And he gave me a black heart
Daddy was a sailor
The only man that could tear me apart
Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy-daddy
Daddy, daddy, daddy

[Verse 3]
Sister dances salsa and she chants just like a queen
I was a non-believer when she told me I was free
Auntie Emy was a medium and she worked the Ouija board
Seeking out the lost souls and taking men back to the Lord

[Chorus 2]
Oh, but daddy still was a sailor
And he gave me a black heart
Daddy was a sailor
The only man that could tear me apart
Oh, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy-daddy
Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy-daddy
Ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh

[Outro]
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh

Marina Lambrini Diamandis, better known as MARINA (formerly Marina and the Diamonds), is a Welsh singer-songwriter and musician.

Growing up in Wales, England and Greece, Marina became “obsessed with becoming a singer, almost as if it was a disease.” After moving to London, it took four years before she established herself as a singer-songwriter. After several independently-released EPs, she placed second on the BBC Sound of 2010 list. In 2010, her debut album, The Family Jewels, was released to critical acclaim and chart success, eventually being certified Gold in the UK.

Her 2012 sophomore album, Electra Heart, was a concept album in which she embraced the titular persona—a vapid, blonde “straight-up pop star” who arose out of her label’s demands for a more commercial pop sound and Marina’s desire to maintain artistic integrity. It became her most successful album, debuting atop the UK, Scotland and Ireland album charts.

more tracks from the album

Mermaid vs Sailor

From the album

Mermaid vs Sailor (2007)

Marina Diamandis popular songs

Daddy Was a SailorMarina Diamandis

Marina Diamandis

Mermaid vs Sailor