The Lobster's Wife

"The Lobster's Wife" is a dirty sea shanty and bar song sung throughout the Inner Sea and Shackles. It is about a goblin girl looking for love. This goblin tries to drown herself at the seashore, but instead meets a lobster, and falls in love with it. She takes this lobster home to meet her family. As any good goblin family would do, they mistake the lobster for a meal.

Alternate versions

One version details the goblin girl's escape from her family with the lobster in tow. He, in turn, takes her to meet his family underwater, teaching her how to breath water in the process. His family rejects her for her goblin-like manners and appearance. She once again runs to the seashore, this time hoping to drown in the air. She ends up just crying into the tide pools.

Goblins have their own versions, but they are even more fantastical, and usually end with the girl setting the ocean on fire.

Meaning

Philosophers have argued that "The Lobster's Wife" is supposed to tell us many things, including why the ocean is made of salt water, and how grindylows came to be. Sailors don't really care about the meaning, and enjoy the song as it is easy to remember, and fairly comical.