In 1996 Parsons sang with folk musician Jon Hicks on his album Chasing the Bear. She then toured extensively in Europe and the USA as Niamh Parsons & The Loose Connections, with the traditional group Arcady and with Dublin guitarist Graham Dunne, with whom she has been playing as Niamh Parsons & Graham Dunne since 1999. She has also appeared solo at many festivals and venues in Ireland and Great Britain. Her 2002 album "Heart's Desire" won the 2003 Association for Independent Music award.
Parsons is one of the most distinctive voices in Irish music. Her voice has drawn comparisons to such venerated singers as Dolores Keane, June Tabor and Sandy Denny. The great Scottish balladeer Archie Fisher said of Parsons, "a songstress like her comes along once or twice in a generation."
It has been said that Parsons may not be the most famous Irish Balladeer, but many feel she's the best. Described in the Boston Herald as both emotionally haunting and tonally as clear as crystal, Parsons's albums have been 'must-have' collector's items for any lover of songs and singing. Parsons has recorded a series of studio albums and live albums. From 1999, Parsons has been playing in a duet with Ennis-based guitarist Graham Dunne as recorded as Niamh Parsons & Graham Dunne.
Growing up in Dublin, Parsons's music loving parents brought herself and her sister to the local folk club in The Old Shieling Hotel in Raheny, where the young girls were exposed to songs and singing from the likes of The Johnstons, Emmet Spiceland, Sweeney's Men, Dolly McMahon, Danny Doyle and many of the other musicians and singers that were playing in Folk clubs at that time. "My father was a great singer, and on long journeys the family used to sing in the car—I don't remember a time in my life when I was not singing—I love songs."
Parsons developed this love into a penchant for collecting songs. She is always on the lookout for songs that speak to her—listening to new albums, scouring the Traditional Music Archives in Dublin, sharing notes with a network of friends and other singers. Once she discovers a song she likes, Parsons views herself as the vehicle for the music. "For me the song is more important than listening to my voice," she says. "I consider myself more a songstress than a singer—a carrier of tradition."
Throughout her career, Parsons has performed with a wide variety of artists, and has appeared at nearly every prestigious folk festival on either side of the Atlantic. As a member of the traditional Irish band Arcady (led by De Dannan's Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh), she sang on their Shanachie recording Many Happy Returns. She appeared before President Clinton and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern in Capitol Hill, Washington, joined Grammy Award winner Paul Winter for an album and a summer concert in New York, and performed on "A Prairie Home Companion" when the show broadcast live from Dublin.
Parsons's recording career began as Niamh Parsons & The Loose Connections, her band of top-notch Belfast musicians she formed with songwriter and bass-player Dee Moore. The band recorded two albums of contemporary and traditional material together. Their debut recording, Loosely Connected (Greentrax, 1992) met with the highest of praise. A beautiful mix of traditional Irish and contemporary songs, it featured the memorable "Tinkerman's Daughter" and featured Brian Kennedy, piper John McSherry, guitarist Paul McSherry and a variety of wonderful Belfast musicians.
The second album, Loosen Up (Green Linnet, 1997), was another buoyant mix of originals and well-chosen contemporary ballads, like Brid Murphy's gorgeous "Clohinne Winds" and Tom Waits' "The Briar and the Rose," a powerful a cappella duet with Fran McPhail of the Voice Squad. Once again the album featured first-class musicians, including guitarist Gavin Ralston, world-renowned saxophone player Ritchie Buckley and Kilkenny accordion player Mick McAuley (now with Solas).
In 1999, Parsons took a bold step and returned to her roots with her first solo album, Blackbirds and Thrushes (Green Linnet) a collection of traditional Irish ballads gathered from over 15 years of Parsons's singing repertoire. In her words, "these songs are living in me." The album won instant acclaim as a welcome return to traditionalism. The Boston Globe declared that it "expressed the sorrow and longing of the Celtic soul more deeply than any within recent memory", and Irish Music Magazine called it "simply magnificent traditional singing."
At this stage, Parsons found her self alone, without a band, and called on the talents of her friend Graham Dunne. They formed a strong bond from the outset, and without doubt, he was the perfect foil for her voice.
Keeping in form, Parsons's next CD In My Prime (Green Linnet 2000) was another collection of mostly traditional material, and again received widespread praise. Folk Roots named it one of the top albums of the year and The Irish Voice called the album "a must-have disc for lovers of Irish song." The album was nominated for Album of the Year by BBC Radio 2 (UK) and the Association for Independent Music (US).
Over the next two years Parsons and Graham toured constantly, and Heart's Desire was released in 2002. This album furthers the tradition of Irish song with unadorned settings and heartfelt delivery. She gathered together a collection of songs drawn from both traditional sources and modern writers including Mark Knopfler and Andy Irvine. The talented musicians who play on the album include in addition to her main accompanist, guitarist Graham Dunne, accordionist Josephine Marsh and Dennis Cahill, who produced the CD, and calls it "her best work yet." Heart's Desire is dedicated to the memory of her father, Jack Parsons. "Daddy had a beautiful voice," says Parsons, "and a great ear for a good song."
In September 2005, Parsons and Dunne recorded a concert at the Fylde Folk Festival, in the UK, and released this as a live album Live at Fylde which features many favourite of Parsons's traditional songs, all on one album. The Old Simplicity is the latest CD to be released with Dunne. Produced by Dennis Cahill again this album contains songs of hunger, of danger, of death and defeat, and ultimately, of love.
This is a body of work that has proven Parsons one of the premier vocalists of her time and a keeper of the flame in Irish traditional song.
Website: www.niamhparsons.com
The Water is Wide
Niamh Parsons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and neither I have wings to fly
give me a boat that can carry two
and both shall row - my love and I
There is a ship, she sails the sea
she's loaded deep as deep can be
but not as deep as the love I'm in
Now love is gentle, and love is kind
the sweetest flower when first it's new
but love grows old, and waxes cold
and fades away like morning dew
The water is wide, I can't cross over
and neither I have wings to fly
give me a boat that can carry two
and both shall row - my love and I
and both shall row - my love and I
The Water is Wide is a traditional Scottish folk song that has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Niamh Parsons. The lyrics explore the themes of love, devotion, and the struggle to overcome obstacles for the sake of love. The first couplet, "The water is wide, I can't cross over and neither I have wings to fly," implies that the singer is facing a significant challenge that they can't overcome by themselves. The water symbolizes an obstacle in this song. The second line refers to the ability to fly, which is a metaphor for the singer's lack of freedom or agency in the situation, and highlights their reliance on someone else to help them overcome it.
In the second stanza, the singer talks about a ship that is heavily loaded and compares it to their love. Although the ship may be weighed down, it's not as deep as the love the singer feels. The singer is admitting the intensity of the love they hold for someone else, and how it makes them feel. They don't have control over how deep they are in love, just like they don't know if they will sink or swim in the vast ocean.
The final stanza speaks to how love can be both beautiful and fleeting. While it's sweetest in the beginning, it eventually fades away like morning dew. The water remains an important metaphor throughout the song, as the singer returns to the idea of crossing it with their lover to overcome the obstacle they face.
Line by Line Meaning
The water is wide, I can't cross over
The distance between my love and me seems insurmountable, leaving me feeling stuck and unable to reach them.
and neither I have wings to fly
I lack any means of transcending the distance that separates me from my love, leaving me feeling hopeless and grounded.
give me a boat that can carry two
I ask for a vessel that can hold both my love and me, symbolizing my desire to traverse the distance and be reunited with my beloved.
and both shall row - my love and I
In this journey, we will work together to overcome the obstacles that lay before us, united in our love and efforts to be together.
There is a ship, she sails the sea
There exists a vessel that journeys across the vast expanse of the ocean, symbolizing the vastness of the world and its endless possibilities.
she's loaded deep as deep can be
The ship carries a heavy load, representing the burdens and responsibilities that come with life and its journeys.
but not as deep as the love I'm in
Despite the ship's heavy load, it pales in comparison to the depth of the love that I feel for my beloved, which transcends all other concerns and responsibilities.
I know not how I sink or swim
I am uncertain of my ability to navigate life's difficulties and challenges, but I know that my love for my beloved will keep me afloat.
Now love is gentle, and love is kind
Love is characterized by tenderness and compassion, embodying the qualities that make life meaningful and fulfilling.
the sweetest flower when first it's new
Love is often at its most potent and beautiful at the beginning, like a blossoming flower.
but love grows old, and waxes cold
Over time, love can become dulled and worn, and may lose some of its initial intensity as it ages.
and fades away like morning dew
Eventually, even the deepest and most meaningful of loves will come to an end, like the dew that evaporates with the warmth of the rising sun.
The water is wide, I can't cross over
The refrain repeats, symbolizing the intractability of the situation, but also underscoring the determination and persistence of the singer in their quest to be reunited with their love.
and neither I have wings to fly
Once again, the singer expresses their lack of means to traverse the wide expanse separating them from their beloved, intensifying their sense of longing and despair.
give me a boat that can carry two
This line echoes earlier in the song, as the singer continues to assert their need for a vessel that can unite them with their love.
and both shall row - my love and I
The song ends on this note of determination and resolve, with the artist once again asserting their commitment to working together with their beloved to overcome life's obstacles and journey together towards an unknown future.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: TRADITIONAL, JEAN-PAUL CABRIERES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PatientThinker
Niamh Parsons is the vocalist ... very pure, resonant voice. Thank you, Niamh, for a wonderful version.
@gmoneypoppy
why on earth have i never heard of this fabulous talent before this ... exquisite singing .. .. truely is a celtic wonder
@Cat1855
I love this song. Niamh Parsons has such a beautiful voice.
@saibot24122412
Best version ever. I connect with my celtic heritage through my berber blood and I see the great spirit granted upon us. This might be of my favourite songs, one of the most beautiful ever made and performed by Niamh.
@sparky1212new
I love this song it makes me cry and that is rare for me to cry but it moves my soul to the deepest cockles of my heart
@SteffiReitsch
Every song this woman sings is beautiful. One in a million voice. Ja,
@gjamh
Can`t get enough of this great song with a voice that`s so perfect it goes through all mine nerves,vains,and deeply into my heart! #playeditmanytimesallreadywhenmyfrienddied;(( Thanks Niamh! and off course Yall1987
@ShonaMcMillan
A favourite song of mine but wow - what a version. Absolutely beautiful in its simplicity and all the more emotionally powerful for that... 'perfect'
@DEATHROTT666
they played this at my grandmother's funeral. goodbye dear grandma! may yee dance with the angels!
@tuyphongk
all of version i heard, this song is better than all, the vocal is so pure, !