and was revised by MJ Seikaly of Scritch Communications:

MJ also created the bookmark

MUSIC

Song celebrates the small daily moments and the remarkable events we carry through the ages. The folkgrass Ozark duo, Still on the Hill, has created such a song for Mimi Hughes’ swimming activism, and the song is based on a European legend about the Mermaid Lau or die Schöne Lau. (Wikipedia’s entry on the Blautopf in southern Germany offers a summary of the legend.)
Donna Stjerna and Kelly Mulholland, the musicians who make up Still on the Hill, have offered their song for all to hear and download. The Mermaid Lau is available on the Main page of this website. Donna and Kelly also sent the lyrics and a picture of the mermaid statue next to the blue pond in Germany of the legend. Enjoy!

THE MERMAID LAU
Inspired by Mimi Hughes
Words & Music Donna Stjerna

I am the beautiful mermaid named Lau
Stories and legends surround me now
Painting a picture that served me well
But I have a different tale to tell
I was banished for centuries
chased from my home in the Black Sea,
swam the Blue Danube to Germany
cuz I refused to smile!

(Blue Danube Waltz Cameo)

See, I have the gift of prophesy
I saw the future in front of me
Poisoned rivers and deadly seas
But all I could do was wail and weep.
I found a small lake just as blue as the sky
Lived out my days with tears in my eyes…
But the spell wouldn’t break
until I could smile…Smile an HONEST smile.

(Blue Danube Waltz Cameo)

Then in the 21st century…
a brave young woman from Tennessee
Who loved the Danube as much as me
Put on a wet suit, swam that dirty river
All the way to the sea!
She broke the spell of apathy…
Opened the eyes of the world to see
She made me smile…I tried on a grin…
Laughter can be the best medicine!

(Blue Danube Waltz Cameo)

I think that I’m ready to journey
Down the Blue Danube back to the Black Sea!

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