The Water is Wide - one more time!

Subject: Lyr Add: O WALY, WALY UP THE BANK
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 08:36 AM

G'day,
Professor Child, writing in 1890 (or earlier) says that "Waly, Waly" was known from the first quarter of the eighteenth century. This in his notes on "Jamie Douglas" (Child #204), where he points out the common ground between the former and several versions of the latter.

Bronson says that Allan Ramsay was the first to publish it in Tea-Table Miscellany, c. 1724.

O waly, waly up the bank!
And waly, waly, down the brae!
And waly, waly yon burn-side,
Where I and my love wont to gae!

I leand my back unto an aik,
I thought it was a trusty tree;
But first it bowd, and syne it brak,
Sae my true-love did lightly me.

etc.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: The Water is Wide
From: Folksie Lady
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 07:31 AM

Ok, Joan Baez did sing it. It's on her "Very Early Joan" album.

Pete Seeger discovered the song's charms many years after he began his singing career. It's on his recent album, "Pete." (and probably on others, too)

Subject: Lyr Add: THE RIVER IS WIDE (Kingston Trio)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 07:28 AM

On their Make Way! album, the Kingston Trio say it was written by Nick Reynolds. They call it "The River Is Wide."

THE RIVER IS WIDE
Nick Reynolds

CHORUS: The river is wide. I cannot see.
Nor do I have light wings to fly.
Build me a boat that can carry two
And both shall row, my love and I.

My love is like the lofty tree.
It shudders fierce and then sways free.
If it should fade when the summer's through,
She'll bloom again when the spring shines through.

When love is young, then love is fine.
Just like a gem when first it's new.
But love grows old and waxes cold
And fades away like the morning dew. (Chorus)

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 16-Jul-02.

Subject: RE: The Water is Wide
From: Folksie Lady
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 07:01 AM

This happens to be one of my favorite folksongs. I sang it in a high school chorale and never forgot it.

Does Karla Bonoff count? Or are we only searching for recordings by more "mainstream" artists? Karla has the loveliest version I've yet heard on her Restless Nights album. She's backed by none other than James Taylor.

Folksie

Subject: RE: The Water is Wide
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 06:44 AM

Well, Murray, Folk Music: An Index to Recorded Sources isn't working this morning, so we're a bit crippled. Seems to me that Baez must have recorded it under one name or another. Peter, Paul and Mary called it There Is a Ship on their "In Concert" album. I wonder how many others we can come up with. I'd bet there are lots.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: The Water is Wide
From:
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 06:33 AM

I was trying to convince a friend of mine who is not particularly into folk music that he does know the tune "Waly Waly" because it was a popular folk song in the 60s. I would like to say, "You know xxx sand it." where xxx is one of the 60s folk "biggies" (Joan Baez, Peter Paul and Mary, etc.) Does anyone know which of them sang it.

Thanks

Murray

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Messages from multiple threads combined.
-Joe Offer-

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Threads on this song:

• The Water is Wide - one more time!
• Waly, Waly - Water is Wide
• Water is wide: song history request
• Lyr Req: HELP! Version of WATER IS WIDE
• Help: Looking for recording of Water is Wide
• The Water is Wide - alternate lyrics
• The Water Is Wide - Waly Waly
• The River Is Wide.....My Love and I
  

  Digital Tradition

• WATER IS WIDE
• WHEN COCKLESHELLS TURN SILVER BELLS (Waly, Waly)
• WALY, WALY 2
• WALY, WALY 3
• WALY WALY (JAMIE DOUGLAS)
• OF LATE I'VE BEEN DRIVEN NEAR CRAZY

(Not an all-inclusive list. Some say Carrickfergus is a version of this song.)