The speaker laments their inability to cross the wide water without wings, but seeks a boat where they and their love can row together. They compare love to a growing rose with a sweet fragrance, expressing the depth of their love as greater than any ship's load. However, they also recognize that love can fade with time, likening it to morning dew.

Meaning of "The Water Is Wide" by Charlotte Church

The lyrics of "The Water Is Wide" by Charlotte Church explore the complexities of love and the passage of time. The persona in the song is faced with an obstacle represented by the wide water that they cannot cross alone, desiring a vessel where both they and their love can navigate together. Symbols of growth and fragrance are used to depict the beauty and sweetness of love in its early stages, mirroring the blooming rose. However, the comparison of love to a sinking ship loaded with emotion conveys the weight and depth of mature love. The final lines highlight the inevitable fading of love over time, drawing parallels between the fleeting nature of love and morning dew. This bittersweet realization of the transience of love suggests a poignant reflection on the impermanence of relationships and the changing dynamics as love ages.