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The Water is Wide  Published by
Oxford
University
Press
SSA/piano: Catalog # 0-19-386733-8 SABar/piano: Catalog #0-19-386852-7 Traditional folk text in English Difficulty rating (1-5): 2
Traditional folk
tunes are fun to
arrange --
deciding how
much of the
tradition to
keep and where
to veer in new
directions. I
remember having
two sources at
the piano as I
arranged this
piece, and they
both diverged
slightly from
the melody that
most people know
for this song.
The piece was a
conscious
attempt to write
simply yet
elegantly for
two part treble
choir, so that
all different
ability and age
groups could do
the piece. The
Fort Wayne
Children’s Choir
led by Fred
Meads has
especially
excelled in
singing
beautiful long
legato lines in
their
performances of
this piece.
TEXT
The water is wide, I can’t cross o’er
And neither have I wings to fly,
Give me a boat that can carry two,
And both shall row, my love and I.
A ship there is and she sails the sea,
She’s loaded deep, as deep can be,
But not as deep as the love I’m in,
I know not how I sink or swim.
I leaned my back against an oak,
Knowing it was a trusty tree.
At first it bent, but never broke,
Thus did my love prove true to me.
Where love is planted, O there it grows,
/ O love is
handsome, O love is fine
It grows and blossoms like a rose.
/ Gay as a jewel
when first it’s new.
It has a sweet and pleasant smell, /
And love grows old, and ever bold,
No flower on earth can it excel. /
And shines as bright as morning dew.
The water is wide, I can’t cross o’er,
And neither have I wings to fly.
Give me a boat that can carry two,
And both shall row, my love and I.
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| PAUL CAREY
composer / conductor All materials and information on this site © 2011 Paul Carey and respective music publishers No part of this site or its contents may be reproduced without written consent. 
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