The modern The Water Is Wide was popularized by Pete Seeger in the folk revival. There have been multiple subsequent variations of the song and several names -- including Waly, Waly, There is a Ship, and Cockleshells -- which use and re-use different selections of lyrics. The song Van Diemen 's Land on the album Rattle and Hum by U2 uses a variation of the melody of The Water Is Wide. The song "When the Pipers Play, '' sung by Isla St. Clair on the video of the same name, uses the melody of "The Water is Wide. ''
who wrote the lyrics to the water is wide
Pete Seeger