The Water Is Wide

G

             G          C           G
The water is wide and I can't cross over
        Em              D
Neither have I wings to fly
[n.c.]     Bm                  C
Build me a boat that can carry two
               G  D            C G/b Am G (C/g G)
And both shall row my love and I.

There is a ship and it sails on the sea
Loaded deep as deep can be
But not as deep as the love I'm in
I know not if I sink or swim.

I leaned my back up against an oak
Thinkin' it was a trusty tree
But first it bent and then it broke
Just like my own false love to me.

Oh love is gentle, love is kind
Gay as a jewel when first it's new
But love grows old and waxes cold
And fades away like some morning dew.

The water is wide and I can't cross over
Neither have I wings to fly
Build me a boat that can carry two
And both shall row my love and I.

Fragments version

From the Time out of Mind sessions, released on BS17: Fragments. Thanks to Michael Freckmann and David Wright for transcriptions.

  D       /f#               G         D/f#                      Dsus4
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .   
|-----2-----------|-----------3-----|-------2---------|---------3-3-3---|
|-----3-3---------|-------------3-0-|-3-----------3---|-------2-3-3-3---|
|---2---2---2-----|-----2-----------|-------2---2-----|-2---------------|
|-0-------------0-|---0-------------|---0---0-------0-|---0-0-----------|
|-----------------|-------0---------|-----------------|-----------------|
|----(2)--2---2---|-2---2---3-------|-2---2---2---2---|-2---------------|
                                                              The water is

  D
  :   .   .   .   
|-2---------------
|-3---------------
|-2---------------
|-0---------------
|-----------------
|-----------------
  wide

    Dsus4      D        G           D
The water is wide and I can’t cross over
      Bm                 A
Had I wings, and I could fly
           D             G     Bm
Build me a boat that could carry two
    Bm7        D   G   A        D            
And both shall row, my love and I.

There is a ship, and she sails the sea
She’s loaded down, as deep can be
But not as deep as the love I’m in
And I know not I sink or swim.

I leaned my back up against an oak.
Thinkin’ it was a trusty tree.
But first it bent, and then it broke.
Just like my own false love to me.

[Instrumental verse]

Oh love is gentle, and love is kind
Gay as a jewel when first it’s new
But love grows old and waxes cold
and fades away like the morning dew.

The water is wide and I can’t cross over
Had I wings and I could fly.
Build me a boat that could carry two
and both shall row, my love and I.

[Instrumental verse]