The Decemberists – Annan Water

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You loom so deep and wide
I would cross over
If you would stem the tide
Build a boat
That I might thwart the other side
To reach the farther shore
Where my true love lies in wait for me
In wait for me
In wait for me
In wait for me

Oh, gray river
Your waters ramble while
The horses shiver
And bide against the bridal
But I will cross
If mine own horse is pulled from me
Though my mother cries that if I try
I sure will drown it be
Will drown it be
Will drown it be
Will drown it be

But if you cull
And let me pass
You may render me a wreck
When I come back
So calm your waves
And slow the churn
And you may have my precious bones on my return

Annan water
Oh hear my true love's call
Hear her holler
Above your water's pall
God, that I could
That my two arms could give me way
And I would cross your breath
And rest my breast about her amber ring
Her amber ring
Her amber ring

But if you cull
And let me pass
You may render me a wreck
When I come back
So calm your waves
And slow the churn
And you may have my precious bones
On my
On my
Return

Send "Annan Water" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by MarcelLionheart, edited by Fionnula, BrutalBart

Track duration: 05:11

"Annan Water" as written by Colin Meloy

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC

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Annan Water song meanings
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20 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:that my two arms could give me *wing*
    and I would cross your *breadth*
    Flag Fionnulaon April 01, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:there's an old Scottish ballad about Annan waters. Annan waters symbolizes the dangers of love (aptly as the album puts it, the hazards of love). The mother is older and wiser and heeds her son not to go into the water to his love, because she knows it will destroy him. First heard a similar song by the Irish singer Niamh Parsons. Many versions, all rather sad at the heart of it all...
    Flag omegawhiskeyon August 15, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I have seen many people talking about the "amber ring" on these lyrics sites, and I went to a Decemberists show last year and had a chance to speak with Colin, so I just asked him out of curiosity.
    He said that while writing the lyrics he had always pictured Margaret with a big (literal) amber ring, you know that they have insect fossils in, etc.?
    Thought I should share.
    Flag hilaritoon June 27, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:A "wrack" is something that's been destroyed,especially a shipwreck.
    Flag darlomundayon October 12, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Annan Water (also known as "The Drowned Lovers" if I recall correctly) is a British folk song, classified as "Childe Ballad #216". The Decemberists do a great version here. You might like to check out other renditions, especially Kate Rusby and Nic Jones.

    The common element is that the young man, in an attempt to ford a river to reach his lover, makes a pact with the river that it might kill him as he returns, so long as he may cross to see her. And then it does.

    A similar song is "The Clyde Water" which has the additional element of some motherly witchcraft and both lovers dying.
    Flag malcolmpdxon July 20, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Nic Jones has a song called Clyde Water/Drowned Lovers and the main characters names are William and Margaret. I bet that's what this is a reference to.
    Flag mariak37on June 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I think the recurring preciousness of bones in this song (and in Hazards IV Drowned) make a nice allegory (?) to money. Being as bones slang for money nowadays, the real currency of a man in love is his very core, his skeleton. To give his precious bones on his return he gives up his life and thus his love, the most valuable thing to him.
    Flag TheRakeon May 20, 2009   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Comment:The official liner notes lists this as the final verse:

    "So calm your waves and slow the churn
    And you may have my precious bones on my return
    And you may have my precious bones
    And I will call your depths my home
    And you may have my precious bones on my return"

    I wonder why it was changed?
    Flag Seluneion May 05, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Love this song.

    I thought that the "amber ring" reference was to an actual ring. If he could change into a bird, instead of the fawn, and then land on her hand, he'd be putting his breast on her amber ring.
    Flag laliriaon April 22, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:In reference to wanderingaloud's detective work, I don't believe Annan refers to the story's location. According the to April 16th issue of Rolling Stone, Meloy comments on an album called Ballads and Sons by Nic Jones in an article about his musical influences. He says, "This has a song called 'Annan Water', which I stole for a song title on our record. It's an example of the river-as-an-obstacle motif in folk songs. In a time before lots of bridges, crossing a river was a daunting task. It's a nice metaphor, separating the protagonist from his desire. Invariably, the river wins, swallowing the person. The hazards of love in the 17th century were not a pretty thing." These are Meloy's words. He also says he took the title from an album entitled The Hazards of Love by Anne Briggs.
    Flag dbchson April 19, 2009   Link
    • 2 Replies

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