The Water Is Wide (song)

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"The Water Is Wide" (also called "O Waly, Waly") is an English folk song that has been sung since the 1600s and has seen considerable popularity through to the 21st century. It is related to Child Ballad 204 (Roud number 87), Jamie Douglas, which in turn refers to the ostensibly unhappy first marriage of James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas to Lady Barbara Erskine.

1 Themes
2 Lyrics
3 Recent Renditions
4 External links

[edit] Themes

The inherent challenges of love are made apparent in the narrator's imagery: "Love is handsome, love is kind" during the novel honeymoon phase of any relationship. However, as time progresses, "love grows old, and waxes cold". Even true love, the narrator admits, can "fade away like morning dew".

[edit] Lyrics

Some popular lyrics for this song are within the book "Folk Songs For Solo Singers", though many versions of the lyrics have been produced.

The water is wide, I cannot cross o'er.

And neither have I, The wings to fly.

Build me a boat, that can carry two.

And both shall row, My true love and I.

A ship there is, And she sails the seas.

Shes laden deep, as deep can be.

But not so deep, As the love I'm in.

And I know not if, I sink or swim.

I leaned my back, against a young oak.

Thinking he were, a trusty tree.

But first he bended, and then he broke.

Thus did my love, Prove false to me.

O` love is handsome, and love is fine.

Bright as a jewel, when first its new.

But love grows old, and waxes cold.

And fades away, like the morning dew.

[edit] Recent Renditions

"O Waly, Waly" has been a popular choice for arrangements by classical composers, in particular Benjamin Britten, whose arrangement for voice and piano was published in 1948. Classical singers who have recorded "O Waly, Waly" include Janet Baker (American soprano), Ian Bostridge (English tenor), Alfred Deller (English counter-tenor), Anthony Rolfe Johnson (American tenor), Anthony Kearns (Irish tenor), Richard Lewis (English tenor), Felicity Lott (English soprano), Benjamin Luxon (English bass-baritone), Derek Lee Ragin(American countertenor), Daniel Taylor (Canadian counter-tenor), Robert Tear (Welsh tenor), Frederica Von Stade (American mezzo-soprano), Carolyn Watkinson (English mezzo-soprano), Scott Weir (American lyric tenor), Edith Wiens (Canadian soprano) and Kathleen Ferrier (English contralto).

The Library of Congress audio archives contain a recording of the American composer, Samuel Barber, singing this tune and accompanying himself on piano in a recital broadcast from the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 26, 1938. This recording is available commercially in compact disc format.

The tune is often used for the hymn "When I Survey" by Isaac Watts.

"The Water is Wide" has also been recorded countless times, with popular renditions by Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, John Gorka, & James Taylor. The lyrics vary from period to period and even from singer to singer.

The song was mildly popularised in the late 1990s when Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, and the Indigo Girls collaborated and produced a version of the song in concert on the Lilith Fair tour.

Charlotte Church, the Welsh child soprano recorded a popularized rendition of this song on her 2001 album entitled, Enchantment.

The song was part of the soundtrack to the film The River Wild. The latest recording is by Hayley Westenra.

This is a popular Solo Ensemble Contest piece.