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Annan Water

[ Roud 6562 ; Ballad Index L695 ; trad. / Nic Jones]

Nic Jones recorded Annan Water for his first album Ballads and Songs. This track was also included in the Trailer Records anthology CD Never the Same. Julia Jones commented in the Mudcat Café:

In l969 Nic altered, simplified and added to the text given in an appendix to Rare Willie Drowned in Yarrow or The Water o Gamrie, found in the Child Ballads Vol. IV, and added the chorus. The first half of the tune is an adaptation of The Brisk Young Lively Lad, found in The Folk Song Journals, and the second half was composed by Nic.

John Wesley Harding sang this song on his Nic Jones tribute album, Trad Arr Jones.

Kate Rusby also sang Annan Water on her second album, Hourglass. This recording was included in the anthologies New Electric Muse II: The Continuing Story of Folk into Rock and Evolving Tradition 2.

Lyrics

Nic Jones sings Annan Water

Oh Annan Water's wondrous deep
And my love Annie's wondrous bonny.
I'm loathe that she should wet her feet
Because I love her best of any.

Go saddle to me the bonny grey mare,
Go saddle her soon and make her ready,
For I must cross that river tonight
And all to see my bonny lady.

Chorus (after every other verse):

And woe betide you Annan Water,
At nights you are a gloomy river,
And over you I'll build a bridge
That never more true love may sever.

And he has ridden o'er field and fell
O'er moor and moss and many a mire,
His spurs of steel were sore to bide
And from the mare's feet flew the fire.

The mare flew on o'er moor and moss
And when she'd won the Annan Water,
She couldn't have ridden a furlong more
Had a thousand whips been laid upon her.

(Chorus)

Oh boatman come put off your boat,
Put off your boat for gold and money
For I must cross that stream tonight
Or never more I'll see my Annie.

The sides are steep, the water's deep
From bank to brae the water's pouring,
And your bonny grey mare she sweats for fear,
She stands to hear the water roaring.

(Chorus)

And he has tried to swim that stream
And he swam on both strong and steady,
But the river was broad and strength did fail
And he never saw his bonny lady.

Oh woe betide the willow wand
And woe betide the bush of briar,
For it broke beneath her true love's hands
When strength did fail and limbs did tire.

(Chorus)