The Water Is Wide
Traditional
arr. James Taylor, D. Grolnich @ 1991

[ Capo III in F ]

[ D A4 ]
The water is wide [ D ]
I can't cross over [ G D ]
And neither have [ D/C# Bm ]
I wings to fly [ Em A4 A ]
Build me a boat [ F#m ]
That can carry two [ D7sus D7 Bm G6 ]
And both shall row [ F#m A ]
My love and I [ D ]

There is a ship [ G A D ]
And she sails the sea [ G D ]
She's loaded deep [ D/C# Bm ]
As deep can be [ Em A4 A ]
But not so deep [ F#m ]
As the love I'm in [ D7sus D7 Bm G6 ]
I know not how [ F#m A ]
To sink or swim [ D ]

Oh love is handsome [ G A D ]
And love is fine [ G A D ]
The sweetest flower [ D/C# Bm ]
When first it's new [ Em A4 A ]
But love grows old [ F#m ]
And waxes cold [ D7sus D7 Bm G6 ]
And fades away [ F#m A ]
Like summer dew [ Bm ]

[instrumental] [ G D ] [ D/C# Bm ] [ G A4 A ]
Build me a boat [ F#m ]
That can carry two [ D7sus D7 Bm G6 ]
And both shall row [ F#m A ]
My love and I [ Bm G6 ]
And both shall row [ F#m A ]
My love and I [ D ]

--------------------------------------------------
My version

The water is wide [ D ]
I cannot cross over [ G D G ]
And neither have [ D Bm ]
I wings to fly [ Em A A7 ]
Build me a boat [ F#m G ]
That can carry two [ Bm G6 ]
And both shall row [ F#m A ]
My love and I [ D ]

There is a ship [ D ]
And she sails the sea [ G D ]
She's loaded deep [ D Bm ]
As deep can be [ Em A ]
But not so deep [ F#m G ]
As the love I'm in [ Bm G6 ]
I know not how [ F#m A ]
To sink or swim [ D ]

I leaned my back [ D ]
Up against a young oak [ G D ]
Thinking it was [ D Bm ]
A trusty tree [ Em A ]
But first it bent, and [ F#m G ]
Then it broke [ Bm G6 ]
And thus did my [ F#m A ]
False love to me [ D ]

I put my hand [D]
into some soft bush [ G D ]
Thinking the sweetest [ D Bm ]
flower to find. [ Em A ]
I pricked my finger [ Bm G ]
to the bone [F#m A ]
And left the sweetest [ F#m A ]
flower alone. [ D ]

Oh love is handsome [ G A D ]
And love is fine [ G D ]
The sweetest flower [ D Bm ]
When first it's new [ Em A A7 ]
But love grows old [ F#m G ]
And waxes cold [ Bm G6 ]
And fades away [ F#m A ]
Like summer dew [ Bm Em A ]

Alternate Ending{
  The seagulls wheel [ D ]
  they turn and dive [ G D ]
  The mountain stands  [ D Bm ]
  beside the sea. [ Em A ]
  This world we know [ F#m G ]
  turns round and round [ Bm G6 ]
  And all for them [ F#m A ]
  - and you and me. [D ]
} 

[instrumental] [ D ] [ G D ] [ D Bm ] [ Em A A7 ]
HUMMING

Build me a boat [ F#m ]
That can carry two [ D7sus D7 Bm G6 ]
And both shall row [ F#m A ]
My love and I [ Bm G6 ]
And both shall row [ F#m A ]
My love and I [ D ]