The Water Is Wide
Love's Ebb and Flow: Navigating the Depths of Emotion with Pete Seeger's 'The Water Is Wide'
Lyrics
The water is wide, I cannot cross over,
The speaker faces an obstacle represented by "the water" and cannot overcome it.
And neither have I wings to fly,
The speaker lacks the means, symbolized by wings, to navigate or escape the obstacle.
Give me a boat that can carry two,
Expressing a desire for a boat that can carry two people.
And both shall row, my love and I.
Both individuals in the relationship will contribute equally; they will row together.
A ship there was, and she sails the sea,
Introducing a ship sailing the sea, loaded deeply, contrasting with the depth of the speaker's love.
She's loaded deep as deep can be,
The ship is heavily loaded, but the love the speaker experiences is deeper.
But not so deep as the love I'm in,
The depth of the speaker's love surpasses even the ship's load.
And I know not how, I sink or swim.
The speaker is uncertain about the outcome of their love, unsure if they will sink or swim.
I leaned my back up against some young oak,
The speaker leans against a seemingly reliable oak tree, but it proves untrustworthy.
Thinking he was a trusty tree,
Initial trust in the oak as a symbol of stability and reliability.
But first he bended and then he broke,
The oak bends and breaks, reflecting the betrayal by the false love.
And thus did my false love to me.
The breaking of the oak symbolizes the end of the speaker's trust and the betrayal by their love.
I put my hand into some soft bush,
The speaker reaches into a soft bush, seeking something sweet, but encounters pain.
Thinking the sweetest flower to find.
An attempt to find beauty results in injury, emphasizing the bitter aspect of love.
I pricked my finger to the bone,
The speaker pricks their finger deeply, experiencing the harsh reality of love.
And left the sweetest flower alone.
The sweetest flower is left untouched, suggesting missed opportunities or sacrifices in love.
Oh, love is handsome, love is fine,
Love is initially described as attractive and joyous.
Gay as a jewel, when first it is new,
Comparing love to a new jewel, highlighting its initial allure.
But love grows old, and waxes cold,
Love changes over time, becoming colder and less vibrant.
And fades away, like summer dew.
Love fades away, likened to the evaporation of summer dew.
The seagulls wheel, they turn and dive,
Describing the movement of seagulls, possibly symbolizing freedom or unpredictable aspects of life.
The mountain stands beside the sea.
The mountain stands firm beside the sea, possibly representing stability or enduring aspects of life.
This world we know turns round and round,
Reflection on the cyclical nature of the world and its continuous turning.
And all for them - and you and me.
The world's cycles and events are for everyone, emphasizing shared experiences.
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