The Cowboy Junkies

The water is wide

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The water is wide Lyrics

The water is wide

The water is wide, I can not cross over
Neither have I wings to fly
Give me a boat that can carry two
and both shall row, my love and I

Love is gentle and love is kind
The sweetest flower when first it's new
But love grows old and waxes cold
and fades away like morning dew

The water is wide, I can not cross over
Neither have I wings to fly
Give me a boat that can carry two
and both shall row, my love and I

and both shall row, my love and I

Submitted by

neon_like On Feb 18, 2002

Sweet Jane

Angel mine

Misguided Angel

A horse in the country

Just want to see

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Cover art for The water is wide lyrics by Cowboy Junkies, The

by SLYcrafts

17y ago

This is from a 1600's Scottish Ballad:

Waly, Waly, gin Love be bonny O Waly, waly, (a lament - "woe is me") up the bank, And waly, waly, doun the brae (hill), And waly, waly, yon burn-side (riverside), Where I and my Love wont to gae (go)! I lean'd my back unto an aik (oak), I thocht it was a trustie tree; But first it bow'd and syne (soon) it brak (broke)— Sae my true love did lichtlie (lightly) me. O waly, waly, gin love be bonnie (beautiful), A little time while it is new! But when 'tis auld (old) it waxeth cauld (cold), And fades awa' like morning dew. O wherefore should I busk my heid (adorn my head), Or wherefore should I kame (comb) my hair? For my true Love has me forsook, And says he'll never lo'e me mair (more). Now Arthur's Seat Sall (shall) be my bed (burial place), The sheets sall ne'er be 'filed by me; Saint Anton's well sall be my drink; Since my true Love has forsaken me. Marti'mas wind, when wilt thou blaw (blow), And shake the green leaves aff the tree? O gentle Death, when wilt thou come? For of my life I am wearìe. 'Tis not the frost, that freezes fell, Nor blawing snaw's (snow) inclemencie, 'Tis not sic cauld (such cold) that makes me cry; But my Love's heart grown cauld to me. When we cam in by Glasgow toun, We were a comely sicht (sight)to see; My Love was clad in the black velvèt, And I mysel in cramasie (crimson). But had I wist (known), before I kist (a coffin = died), That love had been sae ill to win, I had lock'd my heart in a case o' gowd (gold), And pinn'd it wi' a siller (silver) pin. And O! if my young babe were born,: And set upon the nurse's knee; And I mysel were dead and gane, And the green grass growing over me!

Folk Song: The water is wide, I cannot get o'er And neither have I wings to fly. Give me a boat, that will carry two, And both shall row, my love and I.

A-down in the meadows the other day A-gath'ring flow'rs along the way A-gath'ring flowers, both red and blue, I little thought what love can do.

I lean'd my back up against some oak, Thinking that he was a trusty tree. But first he bended and then he broke, And so did my false love to me.

A ship there is, and she sails the sea, She's loaded deep as deep can be, But not so deep as the love I'm in; I know not if I sink or swim.

O love is handsome and love is fine, And love's a jewel when it is new; But when it is old, it groweth cold, And fades away like morning dew.

Sly

This is from a 1600's Scottish Ballad:

Waly, Waly, gin Love be bonny
O Waly, waly, (a lament - "woe is me") up the bank, 
And waly, waly, doun the brae (hill), 
And waly, waly, yon burn-side (riverside), 
Where I and my Love wont to gae (go)! 
I lean'd my back unto an aik (oak), 
I thocht it was a trustie tree; 
But first it bow'd and syne (soon) it brak (broke)— 
Sae my true love did lichtlie (lightly) me. 
O waly, waly, gin love be bonnie (beautiful), 
A little time while it is new! 
But when 'tis auld (old) it waxeth cauld (cold), 
And fades awa' like morning dew. 
O wherefore should I busk my heid (adorn my head), 
Or wherefore should I kame (comb) my hair? 
For my true Love has me forsook, 
And says he'll never lo'e me mair (more). 
Now Arthur's Seat 
Sall (shall) be my bed (burial place), 
The sheets sall ne'er be 'filed by me; 
Saint Anton's well sall be my drink; 
Since my true Love has forsaken me. 
Marti'mas wind, when wilt thou blaw (blow), 
And shake the green leaves aff the tree? 
O gentle Death, when wilt thou come? 
For of my life I am wearìe. 
'Tis not the frost, that freezes fell, 
Nor blawing snaw's (snow) inclemencie, 
'Tis not sic cauld (such cold) that makes me cry; 
But my Love's heart grown cauld to me. 
When we cam in by Glasgow toun, 
We were a comely sicht (sight)to see; 
My Love was clad in the black velvèt, 
And I mysel in cramasie (crimson). 
But had I wist (known), before I kist (a coffin = died), 
That love had been sae ill to win, 
I had lock'd my heart in a case o' gowd (gold), 
And pinn'd it wi' a siller (silver) pin. 
And O! if my young babe were born,: 
And set upon the nurse's knee; 
And I mysel were dead and gane, 
And the green grass growing over me!

Folk Song:
The water is wide, I cannot get o'er 
And neither have I wings to fly. 
Give me a boat, that will carry two, 
And both shall row, my love and I.

A-down in the meadows the other day 
A-gath'ring flow'rs along the way 
A-gath'ring flowers, both red and blue, 
I little thought what love can do.

I lean'd my back up against some oak, 
Thinking that he was a trusty tree. 
But first he bended and then he broke, 
And so did my false love to me.

A ship there is, and she sails the sea, 
She's loaded deep as deep can be, 
But not so deep as the love I'm in; 
I know not if I sink or swim.

O love is handsome and love is fine, 
And love's a jewel when it is new; 
But when it is old, it groweth cold, 
And fades away like morning dew.

Sly

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by BarbaraLaird

13y ago

thanks for the info on this beautiful old traditional song!

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