Irish Songs Lyrics With Guitar Chords By Martin Dardis

The Water Is Wide, To Save My Child

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The Water is Wide (To Save my Child)
by John MacKechnieThis anti-gun violence song is based on the traditional song “The Water is Wide.” (O Waly Waly.) The Water is Wide is an archaic Scottish/English ballad that has been sung for generations.

The water is wide
I can’t cross over
And neither have
I wings to fly
Build me a boat
To save my child
And I shall row
To the other side
 
 
There is a ship         
And she sails the sea 
She’s loaded deep    
As deep can be         
But not so deep         
To save innocence    
When gunmen come 
Take them from us    
 
We must build a boat 
To carry all                
And we shall row      
To reach fair shores   
And stop the guns      
And heal the sorrow  
Lord stop the guns     
Protect us all              
 
I know not how         
To stop the shooting  
Some elected men      
Just run and hide        
Without the courage   
Of our fathers             
And the strength         
 Of all our lives           
 
We all must join           
To end the sadness       
Demand our right         
To live in peace            
To rid our lives             
Of the gunman’s violence 
Lord stop the guns         
Protect us all                  
 
We all know how          
To stop the shooting     
Elected men               
Must stand and fight     
Embrace the courage    
Of the mother              
Who lost her child       
To the endless night     
 
We all must join           
To stop the madness     
Demand our right         
To live in peace            
To rid our lives             
Of the gunman’s violence 
Lord stop the guns         
Protect us all                  
 
Lord stop the guns          
Protect us all           

The Water is Wide  "O Waly Waly" and is my response to the horrible gun violence that is happening here in the states. In December, a deranged young man killed 20 first and second grade  children in their classrooms at the Sandy Hook Elementary School as well as six of their teachers. There is a very concerted effort to put restrictions on Assault weapons of war, high capacity magazines and common sense background checks, but unfortunately, our congressman are in the pocket of the gun lobby. President Obama is leading the fight, but it may fail. It is a huge and very disheartening political battle.

I borrowed a few lines from the song in the first two verses, but the rest is original. I've been told that this is quite alright since it is a traditional song. Pete Seeger, my folk hero, always said pick out a tune you like and personalize it.

   
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