Origins: Annan Water

Subject: Lyrics req.: Annan Waters
From:
Date: 05 Jun 97 - 06:09 AM

In the thread "Folksongs not to ditch" Alan of Australia mentioned a song Annan Water which just could be the song Annan Waters (n o t : Banks of Allan Waters from the DT) the lyrics of which I am looking for.

Wolfgang

Subject: Lyr Add: ANNAN WATER
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 05 Jun 97 - 11:39 AM

Wolfgang,

You may be right, try these lyrics:

ANNAN WATER

Child No. 215 Appendix


Oh Annan Water's wondrous deep
And my love Annie's wondrous bonny
I'm loath that she should wet her feet
Because I love her best of any.

    Go saddle to me the bonny grey mare
    Go saddle her soon and make her ready
    For I must cross that stream tonight
    And all to see my bonnie lady.

And he has ridden o'er field and fell
O'er moor and moss and many a mire
His spurs of steel were sore to bide
And from the mare's feet flew the fire.

    The mare flew on o'er moor and mire
    But when she'd wan the Annan Water
    She couldn't have ridden a furlong more
    Had a thousand whips been laid upon her.

Oh boatman come put off your boat
Put off your boat for golden money
For I must cross that stream tonight
Or never more I'll see my Annie.

    Oh I was sworn late yestreen
    And not by one oath but by many
    And for all the gold in fair Scotland
    I dare not take ye to your Annie.

    The sides are steep the waters deep
    From bank to brae the water pouring
    And your bonny grey mare she sweats for fear
    She stands to hear the water roaring.

And he has tried to swim that stream
And he swam on both strong and steady
But the river was broad and strength did fail
And he never saw his bonny lady.

    Oh woe betide the willow wand
    And woe betide the bush of brier
    For it broke beneath her true love's hand
    When strength did fail and limbs did tire.

And woe betide you Annan Water
This night you are a gloomy river
And over you I'll build a bridge
That never more true love may sever.


Cheers,

Alan

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: Wolfgang
Date: 06 Jun 97 - 03:43 AM

Thanks a lot, Alan,

that's the song, basically. At least it is an extremely good start, to find out the little rest of the words in my version myself.

Yours Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: LaMarca
Date: 06 Jun 97 - 03:15 PM

Nic Jones recorded a nice version of this on one of his early ballad collections...

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: Barry Finn
Date: 11 Dec 98 - 06:58 PM

refreshing this great song. Barry

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: Jo Taylor
Date: 11 Dec 98 - 07:16 PM

Thanks Barry, that's the one!

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin
Date: 11 Dec 98 - 07:20 PM

Check out superlative performances of this song by The Voice Squad.

Kate Rusby has also done a fine version.

Slaynt as reddyn mie myr shen,

Bobby Bob

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: GUEST,darras
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 07:21 AM

i love that song. it's my all time favourite song. since i was forceably moved away from scotland it reminds me of home ^_^ i prefer kate rusby's version over all

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: Declan
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 07:32 AM

There's another lovely version of this song by Niamh Parsons on 'In my Prime'. She learned it from the singing of Mike Donoghue RIP.

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 10:15 AM

Interestingly, it seems that Annan Water has only been published with music once, in the early 19th century; I don't know what that melody was, or whether it was traditionally associated with the text. So far as I know, everybody nowadays (including, I'm told, Niamh Parsons) uses the tune that Nic Jones set to the song (not always crediting him), which he found in the Journal of the Folk Song Society, vol.I no.2, 1900. It was collected by Lucy Broadwood in Surrey, and belonged to an English song called The Brisk Young Lively Lad. Nic changed it a bit to suit his anglicisation of the text from Child, which in turn came from Scott's Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border.

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 10:20 AM

The Voice Squad has recorded this song

Subject: Lyr Add: ANNAN WATER
From: ciarili
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 08:30 PM

Here's what I've got. I got it from the singing of Kate and Nic.

ANNAN WATER

Oh Annan Water's wondrous deep
And my love Ann is wondrous bonnie
I'm loathe that she should wet her feet
Because I love her best of any.

Go saddle for me the bonny grey mare
Go saddle her and make her ready.
For I must cross the stream tonight,
Or never more I'll see my lady.

He's ridden over field and fen.
O'er moor and moss and many's the mire,
But the spurs of steel were sore to bite.
Sparks from the mare's hoofs flew like fire.

The mare flew over moor and moss,
And when she's reached the Annan Water
She couldn't have ridden a furlong more
Had a thousand whips been laid upon her.

refrain:
And woe betide you Annan Waters
By night you are a gloomy river,
And over you I'll build a bridge
That never more true love can sever.

"Oh Boatman put off your boat,
Put off your boat for gold and money.
For I must cross the stream tonight,
Or never more I'll see my lady."

"Oh the sides are steep, the waters deep.
From bank to brae the water's pouring
And the bonny grey mare she sweats for fear.
She stands to hear the water roaring."

And he has tried to swim the stream,
And he swam on both strong and steady,
But the river was deep and strength did fail,
And never more he'll see his lady.

Oh woe betide the willow wand,
And woe betide the bush and briar,
For you broke beneath my true love's hand
When strength did fail and limbs did tire."

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 08:54 PM

See also:

Lyr req: Annan Water Text from Scott, transcription from recording by Nic Jones.
Lyr Req: Annan water Text from Scott again.

Subject: Lyr Add: ANNAN WATER (from Nic Jones)
From: GUEST,Julia Jones
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 06:02 PM

Nic Jones's version of ANNAN WATER - Words: Trad/Nic Jones; Tune: Trad/Nic Jones - copyrighted to Mollie Music. In l969 Nic altered, simplified and added to the text given in an Appendix to "Rare Willie Drowned in Yarrow or The Water o Gamrie", found in the Child Ballads Vol.1V, and added the chorus. The first half of the tune is an adaptation of "The Brisk Young Lively Lad", found in the Folk Song Journals, and the second half was composed by Nic. This is the version used by The Voice Squad, Kate Rusby, Niamh Parson, et al.

The correct words to Nic's version are:

Oh Annan Water's wondrous deep
And my love Annie's wondrous bonny.
I'm loathe that she should wet her feet
Because I love her best of any.
Go saddle to me the bonny grey mare,
Go saddle her soon and make her ready,
For I must cross that river tonight
And all to see my bonny lady.

Chorus: And woe betide you Annan Water,
At nights you are a gloomy river,
And over you I'll build a bridge
That never more true love may sever.

And he has ridden o'er field and fell
O'er moor and moss and many a mire,
His spurs of steel were sore to bide
And from the mare's feet flew the fire.
The mare flew on o'er moor and moss
And when she'd won the Annan Water,
She couldn't have ridden a furlong more
Had a thousand whips been laid upon her.

Chorus

Oh boatman come put off your boat,
Put off your boat for gold and money
For I must cross that stream tonight
Or never more I'll see my Annie.
The sides are steep, the water's deep
From bank to brae the water's pouring,
And your bonny grey mare she sweats for fear,
She stands to hear the water roaring.

Chorus

And he has tried to swim that stream
And he swam on both strong and steady,
But the river was broad and strength did fail
And he never saw his bonny lady.
Oh woe betide the willow wand
And woe betide the bush of briar,
For it broke beneath her true love's hands
When strength did fail and limbs did tire.

Chorus

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 06:26 PM

An 'arranged' midi of "The Brisk Young Lively Lad" can be found on Lesley Nelson's site. Click Here

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: breezy
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 08:04 PM

is the tune on the voice squad the tune arranged by Nic J please?

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 08:13 PM

yes breezy

if you'd bothered to read the thread, oh never mind...

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 11:11 PM

As I suggested earlier, it would appear that all revival recordings of this song use the tune Nic set to it, though, as I also suggested, a lot of people who should have known better haven't bothered to credit him. The arrangement of The Brisk Young Lively Lad at Lesley's site is, without wishing to seem unkind, overblown and, to my ear, frankly unpleasant. Here is a midi made from the notation originally given in the Journal of the Folk Song Society, vol.I no.2, 1900:

The Brisk Young Lively Lad (midi)

Compare this with any recorded arrangement of the song you've heard; you'll hear quite clearly that it's the original source of the melody used nowadays for Annan Water. It should also be quite clear that Nic transformed it into an elegant and compelling tune that fits the song so well that it's scarcely surprising that most people imagine that it belongs to it traditionally.

Thankyou, Julia, for reviving this thread. Please accept my very best wishes to you and to Nic.

Subject: RE: Lyrics req.: Annan waters
From: allanwill
Date: 06 Jul 02 - 01:03 PM

Guitarists might find this page of interest: Click here

Allan

Subject: RE: Origins: Annan Water
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Apr 22 - 03:58 PM

Joe - needs cleanup

Subject: RE: Origins: Annan Water
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 26 Apr 22 - 12:28 PM

Last time I was in the old Blue Bell Inn in Annan High Street, most of the words were to be found on the wall, and not written yesterdy!

The pub is easily found, at the main town bridge on the banks of the River Annan.

NB this is still a very fast flowing and dangerous river, especially when in flood