Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)

Subject: Lyr Req: Donovan: Ferryman's Daughter?
From: michaelr
Date: 06 Jan 03 - 07:46 PM

I only remember bits of this song of seduction which sounded trad-ish but may have been written by Mr Leitch. The chorus goes:

The river is wide, the river is deep
The ferryman my father lies asleep

and later:

The river is deep, the river is wide
He went through the scullery and stepped inside

Any clues?

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Donovan: Ferryman's Daughter?
From: michaelr
Date: 07 Jan 03 - 07:58 PM

reflect

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Donovan: Ferryman's Daughter?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 07 Jan 03 - 08:17 PM

His web site it was his song and never published.

Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Donovan: Ferryman's Daughter?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Feb 03 - 09:46 AM

According to Gracenote, "Ferryman's Daughter" is on Donovan's album "The Best of Donovan." However, I've been unable to confirm the identity of this album; it seems there were several albums released with the title "Best of" or some variant.

According to This site says the song was on Donovan's "Live In Japan: Spring Tour 1973," an album released only in Japan, and This page lists it on a couple of other "Donovan Bootlegs and Rarities."

This page lists an old song called "Riddle-Come-A-Dinky-Doo (The Ferryman's Daughter)"

I also found references to a legend about a convent on London's south bank, an engraving, and an opera called "Ferryman's Daughter."

But no lyrics.

Subject: Lyr Add: FERRYMAN'S DAUGHTER (Donovan)
From:
Date: 05 Apr 03 - 11:55 AM

"For educational purposes", off a bootleg generally known as "The Reedy River":

****************************************

FERRYMAN'S DAUGHTER
(Donovan)

Oh, way deep down in the greenwood
Oh, a-rap-a-tap-a-tapping on the window
A young blade, and a rambling boy
Across the wide river to go
    The river is wide, the river is deep
    All within the cottage seemed asleep.

And by and by a young girl came,
Blinking sleep from her dark eye
She took her finger to her lips,
So young, and yet not so shy
    The river is deep, the river is wide
    He went to the scullery and stepped inside.

I'll tell to ye a roving tale
Or recite you a fable
If you will give to me some bread
And a little hot soup if you're able
    The river is wide, the river is deep
    The ferryman, my father, is asleep.

Then she put on a cloak of wool
And a pair of fine boots of deerskin
Lowering her pretty dark eye
When he caught a glimpse of her fair skin
    The river is wide, the river is deep
    The ferrymen, my father, lies asleep.

Oh, he laid her down in the greenwood
A squiddlin' rabbit to scamper
He sang her the ancient roving tale
The melody did enchant her
    The river is wide, the river is deep
    The ferryman, my father, lies asleep.

They bade farewell by the riverbank
He looked long into her dark eye
An otter splashed and quickly sank
Grey like goose in a grey sky
    The river is wide, the river is deep
    The ferryman, her father, lay asleep.

Oh, way deep down in the greenwood
Oh, a-rap-a-tap-a-tapping on the window
A young blade, and a rambling boy
Across the wide river to go
    The river is wide, the river is deep
    The ferryman, her father...
    The river is wide, the river is deep
    The ferryman, her father, lay asleep.


words and music by Donovan Leitsch
copyright, all rights reserved
*********************************************

Enjoy!

Lisa

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 01:57 PM

tune?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: Ed.
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 04:29 PM

If you want to post an email address GUEST, I could probably provide an mp3 for you.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: michaelr
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 06:50 PM

Thanks, Lisa, for posting the lyrics. I never saw them until now!

I believe that verse 5, line 2 should read
the squirrel and the rabbit did (do) scamper

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: chords to Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: GUEST,alfred
Date: 24 Jul 04 - 09:23 PM

Am               /b C
Oh way deep down in the green wood-o
G                        Am
Rappa-tappa-tappin' on a window
Am          /b    C
A young blade and a ramblin' boy
G                   Am
Across the wide river to go
C         F         C         G
The river is wide, the river is deep
C       F       C       G       Am
All within' the cottage seemed asleep

pick the strings with alternate bass:

example for Am: thumb 5th string/middle finger 2th string/thumb 4th string/fore finger 3d string

have fun!

alfred

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: GUEST,alfred
Date: 24 Jul 04 - 10:23 PM

i'm having problems with this line:

lisa writes:

Oh, he laid her down in the greenwood
A squiddlin' rabbit to scamper

michael writes:

I believe that verse 5, line 2 should read
the squirrel and the rabbit did (do) scamper

i would make this of it:

Oh, he laid her down in the green wood
Oh, a squirrel and a rabbit did scamper

Donovan seems to pronounce something like squiddling or something
I am no native speaker, Dutch, the only thing I can is play and sing that tune and let those squirrel and rabbit run for this lad and lady

Anyone could offer me the line Donovan excactly is singing?

Thank you,

Alfred

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: michaelr
Date: 25 Jul 04 - 03:03 PM

Alfred -- I think Lisa fell victim to Donovan's Scots accent which made his rolled "r"s sound like "d"s when followed by the "l".

I think you've got it pretty well right; we won't know for sure until someone finds the text in a Donovan songbook.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jul 04 - 10:11 PM

Michael - thanks, I'll sing it just like that. Lisa and you were a great help for me, I have the red bootleg album since 1973! Only now I am finally starting to sing it right, though not with that nice Scottish accent of Donovan. I wonder why he never put this song on a regular album, it's such a beautiful story and he plays it so well, wonderful timing, atmosphere, speeding up the tempo bit by bit - wow, I love this tune for 30 years now.

Cheers,
Alfred

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: erinmaidin
Date: 27 Jul 04 - 08:53 AM

Donovan could play the phonebook and make it sound great.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jul 04 - 11:33 AM

This sounds great as well ;-)

Alfred

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Feb 06 - 10:27 AM

I've searched for this lyrics for a lot of time!!!
so thank you so much!I've eventually found it!
I'm creating a coreography on it and I need someone to sing it, so I really needed the words!
thank you so much!!!!
kisses

betty :*

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 10 Mar 06 - 04:55 PM

I first heard this song 20+ years ago, sung by the storyteller Mark Lewis at the old Agoura Renaissance Faire. I've been looking for the lyrics ever since.

But of course, I missed the obvious: look for it on the iTunes music store -- it's there, with a 30 second sample and the whole song downloadable for 99 cents.

Justin

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Mar 06 - 07:51 PM

Hello..
            I have the song on donovans just released box set.It also includes a dvd and another previously unreleased song..Travelling People..which is my new favorite donovan song..Pixie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: GUEST,Robin the cool
Date: 04 May 06 - 06:42 PM

Great song.


From what i can gather its about an otter who turns into a human, seduces a girl and turns back into an otter. Brilliant traditional song...can't find the lyrics anywhere.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: GUEST,Robin the cool
Date: 04 May 06 - 06:44 PM

Travelling people is a song written by Euwin McCall, and covered by Gordon Bok and several others. It's one of my dad's favorite songs to do.

DOnovan's version is unbelievable-

You gotta love his voice.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ferryman's Daughter (Donovan)
From: GUEST,Sandra Dodd
Date: 05 Nov 08 - 12:00 PM

I've had that on the bootleg album since the early 70's.

The line is

Squirrel and a rabbit a-scamper.