– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Behind me is a bit of water called the Strid.

There are a couple of Strids in Britain,

but this is the one on the River Wharfe, at Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire.

And I reckon it is the most dangerous stretch of water anywhere on Earth.

Now that's a bold claim, I know.

There are certainly rivers that have taken more lives,

and there are rapids and waterfalls that few boats could ever sail.

But generally, you can see them coming.

This is just an innocent looking stream in the middle of some woods.

You could jump over it. People occasionally do.

But if you miss that jump, it'll kill you.

This is what the river looks like about a hundred metres upstream.

Same river. All that water went down.

Thanks to the local geology, the river basically turns on its side,

gouging out passages and tunnels in the rocks below.

Those banks are actually overhangs:

there isn't any riverbed just below the surface,

it's a deep, boiling mass of fast and deadly currents.

There are claims that falling in has a 100% fatality rate.

There's no way to confirm that, of course,

because "local person doesn't die in river" doesn't make the news,

but it has claimed a lot of lives:

there are even tales from the 12th century of a young boy,

set to be the future king of Scotland,

who died trying to jump across those waters.

And anything, or anyone, that falls in

might not come out in any recognisable form:

it could just get pulverised against the rocks underwater

over and over and over again.

I'd try and put a camera in,

but then I'd have to get close to the edge.

And the edge isn't sharp, it just curves towards the water

and it's covered in slippery moss.

Besides, the water is opaque and brown with peat stain,

you'd see nothing.

Is it survivable? Maybe, with a lot of equipment and a lot of luck.

And you'll find occasional testimony from foolhardy people

who've swum in the calmer pools at the bottom on drier days --

but that's also where a young child drowned back in 2010.

That's why it's so dangerous.

It looks safe, it looks tempting,

and it'll kill you.

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Key Grammar Structures

• There are a couple of Strids in Britain, but this is the one on the River Wharfe.

  ➔ Relative clause

  ➔ The clause **"that ... on the River Wharfe"** is a relative clause introduced by the implicit relative pronoun "that" which specifies which Strid is being talked about.

• I reckon it is the most dangerous stretch of water anywhere on Earth.

  ➔ Superlative adjective + modal-like verb "reckon"

  ➔ The word **"most dangerous"** is a superlative adjective used to compare this stretch with all others.

• There are certainly rivers that have taken more lives.

  ➔ Present perfect tense

  ➔ The verb phrase **"have taken"** is in the present perfect, indicating an action that started in the past and has relevance to the present.

• But generally, you can see them coming.

  ➔ Modal verb + infinitive (ability)

  ➔ The modal **"can"** expresses ability: **"can see"** means you are able to see them.

• If you miss that jump, it'll kill you.

  ➔ First conditional (if + present simple, will + base verb)

  ➔ The structure **"If + present simple, will + base verb"** forms a real future possibility: missing the jump will result in death.

• There are claims that falling in has a 100% fatality rate.

  ➔ Noun clause as object + gerund subject

  ➔ The clause **"that falling in has a 100% fatality rate"** functions as the object of **"claims"**, and **"falling in"** is a gerund acting as the subject of the inner clause.

• It could just get pulverised against the rocks underwater over and over and over again.

  ➔ Modal verb + passive infinitive

  ➔ The phrase **"could get pulverised"** uses the modal **"could"** followed by the passive infinitive **"get pulverised"**, expressing a possible future action done to the subject.

• That's why it's so dangerous.

  ➔ Demonstrative pronoun + copular verb "be" + adjective

  ➔ The demonstrative **"that"** refers to the previous statement, and **"is"** (copular) links it to the adjective **"dangerous"**.