Hello Cousin Doris:
Here are the words to "The Water Lily":
I tried to send this to you two days ago but it didn't seem to go through, so am
trying again.
"THE WATER LILY" (Written by Tom T. Hall & Henry Lawson)
A lonely young wife, in her dreaming discerns,
A lily-decked pool with a border of ferns,
And a beautiful child, with butterfly wings,
Trips down to the edge of the water and sings:
"Come, mamma. Come. Quick follow me.
Step out on the leaves of the water Lily."
And the lonely young wife, her heart beating, wild,
Cries, "Wait till I come, till I reach you my child."
But the beautiful child, with the butterfly wings,
Steps out on the leaves of the lily and sings:
"Come, mamma, Come. Quick follow me.
Step out on the leaves of the water lily."
And the wife in her dreaming steps out on the stream
But the lily leaves sing, and she wakes from her dream.
Ah, the waking is sad for the tears that it brings,
And she knows it's her dead baby's spirit that sings.
"Come, mamma. Come. Quick follow me,
Step out on the leaves of the water lily."
"Come, mamma. Come. Quick follow me,
Step out on the leaves of the water lily."
(As sung by Ralph, Tom T. & Judy Marshall on "SATURDAY NIGHT" tape)
The song tells a heavy story.
Noland Stanley
Doris Bradley wrote:
> 2/7/2004
>
> Dear All:
>
> I would also love to have the exact words to that song. I think it's on the
> Saturday Night/Sunday Morning CD that Ralph, Sr. did in the early 1990's.
> Along with "Wonderful World Outside", that song is one of my favorites,and I
> consider it one of the most beautiful numbers Ralph's done recently. It
> touched me quite deeply, because it tells a wonderful but tragic (it's Stanley
> music, right-most of their songs have some type of sadness or tragic element)
> story (as I interpret it) about a mother whose child has strayed out into the
> water & drowned or is drowning. As our children do, this little one is now
> calling for his/her Mommy to follow them into the water & join them in
> death---"Quick, Mom, please come with me---Step out now with me on the water
> lilly" (please forgive if the words aren't exact here, I haven't listened to
> that one in over 6 months). As I interpeted the song, it represents the theme
> that mothers will do anything for their babies, even follow them into death to
> avoid being separated from our children. (My child learned that pretty
> quickly, as I took a nasty burn from a kerosene lantern to keep her from being
> burned during a thunderstorm when she was 29 months old, & kids often use
> their
> Mothers' instincts & protectiveness to their advantage) I thought when I
> first
> heard this song, what a sad but true representation of a mother's instinct &
> love the song gives and what a wonderful story this song tells.
>
> I think the words to the song are inside the Liner Notes to the tapes & CD's I
> have of "Saturday Night/Sunday Morning". I'd look it up for you & provide the
> words myself, Matt, but all Dr. Bradley's & my things except 100 lbs of air
> freight we brought from New Zealand don't arrive stateside for another 3-4
> weeks & that particular CD is one that is still in transit with our furniture.
>
> Anyone who can look at their copies of the inserts/liner notes from "Saturday
> Night/Sunday Morning" & get the words, I too would be so grateful to have them
> placed to see here so I can print them out. I'm still looking for a contact
> number for "Larry Earlich" who writes the liner notes for "An Evening Long
> Ago", also & would be so grateful for any information anyone has on this man.
>
> I've just gotten my copy of the Bluegrass Standard (Ralph Stanley fan club
> newsletter), and am saddened to observe that (tome) Ralph, Sr. seems to have
> grown smaller with age as my Mamaw Lucy (his & my Daddy's wonderful mother)
> did. He looks quite small & vulnerable standing beside all those other folks
> on the front photo of the newsletter, and I see my Grandma Lucy staring back
> at
> me from his eyes and I see that his posture exactly mimics hers at that age.
> I
> have it also---it's a tendency to stand with one shoulder taller than the
> other
> one so as to look somewhat lopsided though we're not. (I have the "Stanley
> Roman Nose" also, anyone know a GOOD plastic surgeon who works CHEAP???)
> Mamaw
> Stanley was such a beautiful, genteel, handsomely elegant and distinguished
> woman as far back as I can recall. If you watch Ralph, Sr., he'll sometimes
> hold his left hand across his right wrist, holding onto the right wrist at
> about waist height & when he stands he appears taller on one side than the
> other. (PLEASE, folks, I'm NOT criticizing anyone here, just sharing with you
> an observation about a Stanley family resemblence which I share with Ralph and
> expressing my regret and sense of loss at his visible physical signs of aging
> since I've seen him last. I love him as Daddy's only brother & lifetime
> companion, and I've loved him as my little short (sometimes fat) uncle for
> over
> 50 years now. He's aging & my observation brings with it the sadness that he
> no
> longer looks young, and the realizaton that someday he will leave us here &
> join
> Daddy). I wish I saw him more often.
>
> UGH---Hey James Allan-----I've always heard that if you stay around someone
> long
> enough, even your DOG----you start to look like them!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Poor Aunt
> George used to be called "The 'Other' or the 'Third' Stanley Brother" he was
> with them for so long as a CM Boy. I still see a SLIGHT resemblence to Daddy
> &
> Ralph in him! How long have you been head CM Boy now? 'Nuff said!Your new
> album is GREAT-they should allow you to sing more.
>
> I'd be so grateful to anyone who finds the words to "The Water Lilly" & can
> put
> them on here.
>
> Keep loving bluegrass & mountain music-it's the best music in the world!
>
> Cordially your friend,
>
> Doris Stanley Bradley, LLB
>
> Quoting Matt Peuler <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>
> " "
> " " Hi,
> " "
> " " I am searching for the lyrics for a song by Ralph entitled The Water Lily.
> " "
> " " Its a very nice song and I'd love to have the lyrics for it.... can anyone
> " "
> " " help me out? :)
> " "
> " " Much appreciated! Cheers, Matt :)
> " " Bluegrass Bulletin Board brought to you by the fan club of
> " " Dr Ralph Stanley & His Clinch Mountain Boys
> " " subscribe or unsubscribe at http://drralphstanley.com/
> " "
>
> Bluegrass Bulletin Board brought to you by the fan club of
> Dr Ralph Stanley & His Clinch Mountain Boys
> subscribe or unsubscribe at http://drralphstanley.com/
Bluegrass Bulletin Board brought to you by the fan club of
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