Every man desired her but her heart was not her own
There was just one lover for her
But he'd gone away to war never ever to return
So this life held nothing for her.
She would sit out where the Rhine was very deep
Up upon a rock so high
And she'd sing a little song and the people who would hear
Would forget the danger near by.

Loreley, ley, ley, looks down on the river Rhine
Where it flows just like a ribbon blue and wide
Loreley, ley, ley, sitting in the bright sunshine
While [bad word] her golden hair.
Loreley, ley, ley, ships sail past her all day long
If they see her they're enchanted by her song
Loreley, ley, ley, many of those ships are gone
But that was so long ago.

And her singing could be heard from so many miles away
Like a sweet forgotten dream
And the fishermen in boats passing at the break of day
Were bewitched by what they'd seen,
And so many boats were lost upon the rocks
While their sailors stared at her
But she always looked away
As the river took them down
Like she didn't even care.

Loreley, ley, ley, looks down on the river Rhine
Where it flows just like a ribbon blue and wide
Loreley, ley, ley, sitting in the bright sunshine
While [bad word] her golden hair.
Loreley, ley, ley, ships sail past her all day long
If they see her they're enchanted by her song
Loreley, ley, ley, many of those ships are gone
But that was so long ago.

Then one day a sailor saw the Loreley
And he said: "She will be mine!"
And he set out with his crew mates upon the father Rhine
But they also drank too much wine
Wine, wine, wine, wine, here's to Loreley
Who believes in fairy tales
Wine, wine, wine, wine, give us lots of wine
God help us if we fail.

And she sang her fateful song
And she [bad word] her golden hair
As the boat sank beneath the waves.

Loreley, ley, ley, looks down on the river Rhine
Where it flows just like a ribbon blue and wide
Loreley, ley, ley, sitting in the bright sunshine
While [bad word] her golden hair.
Loreley, ley, ley, ships are sailing to and fro
And they still can hear her song from long ago
Loreley, ley, ley, they can't see her anymore
Sitting by the river.
Loreley, ley, leeeeeeeeeeeeeeey, 
(unter dir da fließt der Rhein,)
Wie ein blaues Band durch das weite schöne Land
Loreley, ley, ley, du sitzt dort im Sonnenschein
Und du kämmst dein goldenes Haar.
Loreley, ley, ley, Schiffe zieh’n an dir vorbei, 
und wer dich dort sieht wird verzaubert durch dein Lied.
Loreley, ley, ley, viele kehrten nicht mehr heim...