Fred Neil (March 16, 1936 – July 7, 2001) was an important American blues a… Read Full Bio ↴Fred Neil (March 16, 1936 – July 7, 2001) was an important American blues and folk singer and songwriter in the 1960s and early 1970s. He is best remembered for writing the top 40 hits "Candy Man", performed by Roy Orbison and "Everybody's Talkin'", performed by Harry Nilsson.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, Neil was one of the songwriters who for a time worked out of New York City's famous Brill Building. He has often been called a pioneer of the folk rock & singer-songwriter musical genres; his most frequently cited disciples are Tim Buckley, Harry Nilsson, and the Jefferson Airplane, but his most prominent descendants have been Stephen Stills, James Taylor, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell. In concert appearances, as well as the liner notes for his 2003 album, Meet Me In Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection, Jimmy Buffett called Neil "one of my heroes." Some of Neil's early compositions were recorded by Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison; he played as a session guitarist on hits by Bobby Darin and Paul Anka. In 1968, Nilsson recorded a cover version of Neil's song "Everybody's Talkin'," which became a huge hit a year later when it was featured in the film Midnight Cowboy.

Neil was an accomplished professional musician atypically inclined to a very modest frugality. "Candy Man", his first of two Top-40-hit compositions, substantially introduced him to a sufficient income stream for life in his early 20's; he became increasingly disinclined to work if he did not feel like it. Consequently his two fully realized albums (see next paragraph) are remarkable for their singularly unpretentious authenticity. His combination of baritone vocal and 12-string guitar remains unusual, and his combo recordings provide his shimmering melodies with muscular grooves; but his exemplarity is that of resolving the apparent opposition between aesthetic integrity and commercial value almost entirely in favor of aesthetic integrity, which gives all of his recordings a unique historical resonance.

He had debts to previous singer-songwriters such as Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, Chuck Berry and Hank Williams (Senior); but his approach to melody was more in the manner of Cole Porter and to rhythm very much in the school of Ray Charles. His popularly acclaimed albums are "Bleecker & MacDougal" (also known as A Little Bit of Rain) without drums (1965) and "Fred Neil" (also known as Everybody's Talkin') in (1966), made during his residences in the Greenwich Village section of lower Manhattan in New York City and in Coconut Grove, Florida, respectively.

The reigning web expert in (October) 2005 has been Richie Unterberger. The Rick O'Barry interview at the dedicated website (fredneil.com) claims that a third fully realized album, Neil's "Stuff Sessions" of 1978, was never released by Columbia. The unreleased "Walk on the Water" album was recorded at Bayshore studios in Coconut Grove, with a second set of sessions taking place in NJ with the group Stuff.

After the mid 1970s he ceased to maintain a residence in Woodstock, New York, and spent his remaining decades enjoying life on the shores of southern Florida. His last public performance was in 1981 coffeehouse concert in Coconut Grove where he joined Buzzy Linhardt onstage.

Fred Neil died of natural causes in 2001.

The Water Is Wide
Fred Neil Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The water is wide
I can't cross over
And neither have
I wings to fly
Build me a boat
That can carry two
And both shall row
My love and i

There is a ship
And she sails the sea
She's loaded deep
As deep can be
But not so deep
As the love I'm in
I know not how
I sink or swim

Oh love is handsome
And love is fine
The sweetest flower
When first it's new
But love grows old
And waxes cold
And fades away
Like summer dew

Build me a boat
That can carry two
And both shall row
My love and i

And both shall row
My love and i

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "The Water Is Wide" by Fred Neil tell the story of a lover who is separated from their beloved by a body of water that they cannot cross on their own. The singer longs for a boat that can carry themselves and their lover across the water, so they can row together and be reunited. The imagery of wings and boats highlights the singer's desires and inability to physically be with their love. The lyrics also explore the idea that love can be beautiful and invigorating, but can also fade away over time.

The song's first two lines, "The water is wide, I can't cross over," are a traditional Scottish refrain, which has been used in various folk songs and ballads throughout the years. Folk singers like Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and Judy Collins have all recorded versions of the song. The lyrics, sometimes known as "O Waly, Waly," have been used in both English and Scottish poems, with variations in each.

Line by Line Meaning

The water is wide
The water is vast and cannot be crossed easily.

I can't cross over
I do not possess the ability to cross the water.

And neither have I wings to fly
I also do not have wings to fly over the water.

Build me a boat that can carry two
I need a boat that can carry myself and my loved one.

And both shall row My love and I
We shall work together to row the boat and reach the other side.

There is a ship and she sails the sea
There are other ways to travel across the water.

She's loaded deep as deep can be
The ship is fully loaded with cargo and passengers.

But not so deep as the love I'm in
However, the love I feel for my partner is much deeper than anything on the ship.

I know not how I sink or swim
I do not know how I will manage to cross the water.

Oh love is handsome And love is fine
Love is beautiful and brings great happiness.

The sweetest flower when first it's new
Love, like a new flower, is pure and full of promise.

But love grows old And waxes cold
Over time, love may become less enthusiastic and passionate.

And fades away Like summer dew
Love, like dew on grass, may fade away completely.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Bob Dylan

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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