"The Water Lily"
by Ralph Stanley from "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning"
Transcribed by Jason Hannan
Capo 2
Intro: D
A [D]lonely young wife in her [G]dreaming dis[D]cerns
A lily decked pool with a border of [A]ferns
And a [D]beautiful child with [G]butterfly [D]wings
Drifts down to the edge of the [A]water and [D]sings
[D]Come mama, come, [G]quick follow [D]me
Step out on the leaves of the [A]water li[D]ly
And the [D]lonely young wife, her [G]heart beating [D]wild
Cries wait till I come, till I reach you my [A]child
But the [D]beautiful child with [G]butterfly [D]wings
Steps out on the leaves of the [A]lily and [D]sings
[D]Come mama, come, [G]quick follow [D]me
Step out on the leaves of the [A]water li[D]ly
Instrumental (chords same as verse)
And the [D]wife in her dreaming steps [G]out on the [D]stream
But the lily leaves sink and she wakes from her [A]dream
Oh the [D]waking is sad, for the [G]tears that it [D]brings
And she knows its her dead baby’s [A]spirit that [D]sings
[D]Come mama, come, [G]quick follow [D]me
Step out on the leaves of the [A]water li[D]ly
[D]Come mama, come, [G]quick follow [D]me
Step out on the leaves of the [A]water li[D]ly
End
This is officially the saddest song in the world.
Jason
