“Annan Water” by The Decemberists
My cover of “Annan Water” by the Decemberists, from The Hazards of Love.
How to Play “Annan Water” by The Decemberists
All the tabs for “Annan Water” I’ve found online are pretty much the same, but it’s not an accurate tab. So I’ve tried to put together something a little more correct. This is how it’s played, as best I can tell. I’m not actually going to tab it out, but here’s the gist of it.
Here are the chords you’ll need. It’s basically an A minor-based song. For the main riff, you just walk the bass line up and down. Just take your 1st finger (index) out of the Am chord and put it in the F (low E-string, first fret) for the Asus2/F chord. Similarly, use your 4th finger (pinky) to play the G note (3rd fret) for the Asus2/G (still letting the B-string ring open, which is actually an Asus2 as opposed to Am). The chords for the song are pretty straightforward:
EADGBE
X02210 = Am
102200 = Asus2/F
302200 = Asus2/G
002200 = Asus2/E
XX0232 = D
XX0231 = Dm
X02220 = A
X02020 = A7
244222 = F#m
022100 = E
For the rhythm, basically, your hand will just strum up and down in a constant movement, but the trick is to emphasize certain strokes over others. I don’t know if it’s technically correct to do so, but I’ll call this one measure, with four beats to a measure.
> = downstroke
< = upstroke
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and
> > < < > <
If it helps, think of it as de-emphasizing the third beat rather than actually skipping the downstroke (keep your hand moving). It’s really just down-and-down-up-down-up-down-up, which is simple enough once you get the emphasis in the right places. The emphasis is mostly on the 1st beat (bass note) and the upstroke between the 2nd and 3rd beats. Also, when it goes down to the Asus2/E, you emphasize the bass note on both the 1st and 2nd beats rather than just the 1st.
For voicing, I like to play it close to the neck rather than close to the bridge, so the strings really ring out more. I also choke up on the pick and actually hit the strings with the nail of my pick finger as the pick strokes across the strings. This gives a percussive sound that kind of mimics the percussion of the song. Similarly, I let the fingers of my pick hand hit the pick board of the guitar as I strum. This both helps to steady my hand so I can strum with just the right attack for just the right voicing and adds a nice percussive beat throughout the song.
So here’s the lyrics with chords. The lyrics are as best I can figure; versions I’ve found online differ, but this is what it sounds like to me:
* * * *
Intro (x2)
Am Asus2/F
Asus2/G Asus2/F Asus2/E
Verse 1
Am Asus2/F
Annan water, you
Asus2/G Asus2/F Asus2/E
loom so deep and wide
Am Asus2/F
I would cross over
Asus2/G Asus2/F Asus2/E
if you would stem the tide
Am Asus2/F
Or build a boat that I might
Asus2/G Asus2/F Asus2/E
ford the other side
Am Asus2/F
To reach the farther shore where
Asus2/G Asus2/F Asus2/E
my true love lies in wait for
Asus2/F Asus2/G
me In wait for me
Am Asus2/F Asus2/E
me In wait for me
Asus2/F Asus2/G
In wait for me
Am
Verse 2
Am Asus2/F
Oh gray river your
Asus2/G Asus2/F Asus2/E
waters ramble wild
Am Asus2/F
The horses shiver and
Asus2/G Asus2/F Asus2/E
bite against the bridle
Am Asus2/F
But I will cross if mine own
Asus2/G Asus2/F Asus2/E
horse is pulled from me
Am Asus2/F
Though my mother cries that if I
Asus2/G Asus2/F Asus2/E
try I sure will drowned
Asus2/F Asus2/G
be Will drowned be
Am Asus2/F Asus2/E
Will drowned be
Asus2/F Asus2/G
Will drowned be
Am A
But if you
Chorus
D Dm
cull and let me
A F#m
pass you may
D E
render me a wreck when I come
A A7
back So calm your
D Dm
waves And slow the
A A7 F#m
churn And you may
D E
have my precious bones on my
Am
return
Bridge (x2)
Am Asus2/F
Asus2/G Asus2/F Asus2/E
Verse 3
Am Asus2/F
Annan water Oh hear
Asus2/G Asus2/F Asus2/E
my true love’s call
Am Asus2/F
Hear her holler
Asus2/G Asus2/F Asus2/E
Above your water’s pall
Am Asus2/F
God that I could That my two
Asus2/G Asus2/F Asus2/E
arms could give me wing
Am Asus2/F
And I would cross your breadth and
Asus2/G Asus2/F Asus2/E
rest my breast about her amber ring
Asus2/F Asus2/G
Her amber ring
Am Asus2/F Asus2/E
Her amber ring
Asus2/F Asus2/G
Her amber ring
Am A
But if you
Chorus
D Dm
cull and let me
A F#m
pass you may
D E
render me a wreck when I come
A A7
back So calm your
D Dm
waves and slow the
A A7 F#m
churn and you may
D E
have my precious bones on my…
on my….
Dm
return