Perilous Waters


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I wrote Perilous Waters, words and tune, in a very short period of time while I was learning guitar. A simple sort of song, it tells the standard tale of the Irish banesidhe, who is spurned by her lover, cast into the sea and drowned. She returns on the night of his death to sing once more of his betrayal and her sorrow.
A rough sketch of the tune of Perilous Waters, poorly sung and poorly played by Wynn Constantine. I'll have a better version up when I am more comfortable with the guitar.

	Perilous Waters I swore my love by the edge of the ocean Where rocks tear the waters apart. He cast me aside for to marry another A fair face can hide a cruel heart. Ch:I shall mourn, I shall mourn, with a song of devotion By sorrow and sea, I am drowned A banesidhe bride of the perilous waters In the shackles of love - I am bound. Death's band of iron is the ring 'round my finger My white gown is made of ship's sails My hair's wild and torn, with no ribbon to bind it The sea-foam shall be my wedding-veil. Ch:I shall mourn, I shall mourn, with a song of devotion By sorrow and sea, I am drowned A banesidhe bride of the perilous waters In the shackles of love - I am bound. There's a shrine to lost love in the depths of the ocean Where no trace of light breaks the waves The sea there is bitter from the salt of long weeping And the silence is that of the grave. Ch:I shall mourn, I shall mourn, with a song of devotion By sorrow and sea, I am drowned A banesidhe bride of the perilous waters In the shackles of love - I am bound. I'll visit my love on the night he is dying Long before church-bells can ring And as his last breath passes out of his body I'll stand on his doorstep and sing. Ch:I shall mourn, I shall mourn, with a song of devotion By sorrow and sea, I am drowned A banesidhe bride of the perilous waters In the shackles of love - I shall mourn, I shall mourn, with a song of devotion By sorrow and sea, I am drowned A banesidhe bride of the perilous waters In the shackles of love - I am bound.
All words and music are copyright 2010, and are sole property of the artist. Please do not reproduce in any fashion without written and explicit permission.