The Water Is Wide
Bonoff Karla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I cannot swim ore
and neither have I
the wings to fly
give me a boat
that can carry two
and we both shall row
my true love and I
A ship there is
and she sails the seas
she's laden deep
as deep can be
but not so deep
as the love I'm in
and I know not if
i sink or swim
I leaned my back
against a young oak
thinkin he was
a trusty tree
but first he bended
and then he broke
thus did my love
prove false to me
Oh love is handsome
and love is kind
bright as a jewl
when first it's new
but love grows old
and waxes cold
and fades away
like the morning dew
and fades away
like the morning dew
The Water is Wide is a traditional folk song that has been covered by many singers, among them Karla Bonoff. In the opening verse, the singer expresses vulnerability and limitations, saying they cannot swim and don't have wings to fly. They ask for a boat that can carry two, so they can go rowing with their true love. The water symbolizes the obstacle between the lovers or their journey to a better place. The second stanza uses the ship as another metaphor, where the singer compares their love, deeper than the sea, with uncertain fate. They acknowledge they may sink or swim, indicating that they are willing to take risks for their love.
In the third stanza, they paint a picture of being betrayed by someone they trusted, maybe the same true love they were talking about in the first stanza. The oak tree, a classic symbol of strength and stability portraying the singer's faith in their relationship, ended up breaking and falling. These lines signify disappointment and the loss of something significant. The ending of the song concludes, emphasizing that love may start beautifully, but it can also change, grow cold, and vanish like the morning dew.
Line by Line Meaning
The water is wide
The water between us is vast and wide.
I cannot swim ore
I am not capable of swimming or crossing this water on my own.
and neither have I
the wings to fly
I do not have the ability to fly over the water on my own.
give me a boat
that can carry two
I need a boat that can accommodate both myself and my true love.
and we both shall row
my true love and I
We will both work together to row the boat and cross the water.
A ship there is
and she sails the seas
she's laden deep
as deep can be
There is a ship that sails the seas, and it is loaded down deeply.
but not so deep
as the love I'm in
However, it is not as deep as the love that I feel.
and I know not if
i sink or swim
I am uncertain whether I will succeed or fail in love.
I leaned my back
against a young oak
I trusted my love, just as I trusted this young oak tree.
thinkin he was
a trusty tree
Believing that the tree would support me and stay steadfast.
but first he bended
and then he broke
The tree bent and eventually broke, just like my love ultimately betrayed me.
thus did my love
prove false to me
My love's actions proved that I had put too much trust in them, and that they were not true to their word.
Oh love is handsome
and love is kind
bright as a jewl
when first it's new
In the beginning, love is beautiful and bright like a jewel, and seems kind and generous.
but love grows old
and waxes cold
As time passes, love can lose its warmth and excitement.
and fades away
like the morning dew
Eventually, love can completely fade away, just like the morning dew disappears with the rising sun.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
PLS
Karla and Nina are pure magic together. The tears are streaming down my face as I write this…this song takes me back to my introduction to Karla’s music in first-year university (1975). It hit me where I lived then — and it still does to this day. I am a Canadian…seeing these two live is on my bucket list…
JEFF'S THINGS...
Probably the most beautiful rendition I ever heard. WOW!!!
Raelene nobody
Better than the record.
Durk Knol
Karla deserves to be much more famous than she is. And the same goes for Nina, a brilliant instrumentalist.
Bart Vermeulen
Fame perhaps is’nt everything?
C De Vries
Wow, people looking for a word they can react on, in stead of trying to understand the essence of a comment. Apart from that: fame is a rather important factor for professional musicians.
Abdullah Abd Rahman
Yes, she does !
Peggy Mays
It's just that she came along with Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, Carly Simon, and Bonnie Raitt. She is wonderful. But there were so many others.
Tyler McNamer
Out of the many other versions of this old folk song, Karla's is always going to be my favorite.
Love from Oregon!
順Akita
me too.