About the Song
“The Water Is Wide” – The Seekers’ Special Farewell Performance is a profoundly moving and elegant rendition of one of the most timeless folk melodies in the English-speaking world. Captured during their farewell concerts, this performance serves not just as a goodbye to audiences, but as a heartfelt final embrace—a moment where music, memory, and legacy flow together as gently and powerfully as the song itself.
“The Water Is Wide” is a traditional folk song of Scottish origin, dating back to the 17th century. Over the centuries, its poignant lyrics—“The water is wide, I cannot get o’er, and neither have I wings to fly”—have come to symbolize unreachable love, the passage of time, and the emotional distance that can grow between hearts. It’s a song of longing and quiet heartbreak, but also of resignation and peace. In the hands of The Seekers, it becomes something even more: a graceful farewell full of emotional richness and spiritual calm.
Judith Durham’s vocal performance in this farewell rendition is especially poignant. Though age may have softened the power of her once-crystalline tone, she sings with even greater emotional depth, her voice carrying the weight of a career spent telling stories, comforting listeners, and sharing beauty. She doesn’t push or dramatize; she simply delivers each line with clarity, reverence, and wisdom, making the song feel as much like a prayer as a performance.
The harmonies provided by Athol Guy, Bruce Woodley, and Keith Potger remain as tight and empathetic as ever, their blend matured by decades of shared musical journey. Their voices support Durham’s with a gentle, almost reverent unity, allowing the song’s emotional current to flow without interruption.
Musically, the arrangement is pure and acoustic, often centered around fingerpicked guitar, soft strings, and the natural resonance of live performance. There’s no excess, no embellishment—just the beauty of the melody, the tenderness of the lyrics, and the shared understanding that this is a closing chapter in a story beloved by millions.
In this Special Farewell Performance, “The Water Is Wide” becomes more than a traditional folk song—it transforms into a symbol of parting and gratitude, a final bow delivered not with sadness, but with serenity. It captures The Seekers’ enduring legacy of graceful musicianship, heartfelt harmony, and emotional sincerity, reminding listeners that while time passes and stages go dark, the music remains, carried gently across the wide waters of memory.