Across the Great Divide – English Lyrics

• By: Kate Wolf
• Album: Close to You

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Kate Wolf's timeless folk ballad, "Across the Great Divide," and discover a song rich with universal themes of change and reflection. Her clear, sincere vocals and direct storytelling make this an ideal piece for language learners to grasp natural English phrasing and emotionally resonant vocabulary, offering a gentle yet profound journey through the human experience.

[English]

I've been walkin' in my sleep

Countin' troubles 'stead of countin' sheep

Where the years went I can't say

I just turned around and they've gone away

I've been siftin' through the layers

Of dusty books and faded papers

They tell a story I used to know

And it was one that happened so long ago

It's gone away in yesterday

Now I find myself on the mountainside

Where the rivers change direction

Across the Great Divide

Now, I heard the owl callin'

Softly as the night was fallin'

With a question, and I replied

But he's gone across the borderline

He's gone away in yesterday

Now I find myself on the mountainside

Where the rivers change direction

Across the Great Divide

The finest hour that I have seen

Is the one that comes between

The edge of night and the break of day

It's when the darkness rolls away

It's gone away in yesterday

Now I find myself on the mountainside

Where the rivers change direction

Across the Great Divide

It's gone away in yesterday

Now I find myself on the mountainside

Where the rivers change direction

Across the Great Divide

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - to move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn
sleep /sliːp/ A1	noun - a condition of body and mind that typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the eyes are closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended
troubles /ˈtrʌblz/ A2	noun - difficulties or problems
years /jɪərz/ A1	noun - the time it takes the earth to travel around the sun
layers /ˈleɪərz/ B1	noun - a sheet, quantity, or thickness of material, typically one of several, covering a surface or body
dusty /ˈdʌsti/ B1	adjective - covered with or full of dust
books /bʊks/ A1	noun - a written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers
papers /ˈpeɪpərz/ A2	noun - material manufactured in thin sheets from the pulp of wood or other fibrous substances, used for writing, drawing, or printing on, or as wrapping material
story /ˈstɔːri/ A1	noun - an account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment
mountainside /ˈmaʊntənˌsaɪd/ B2	noun - the side of a mountain
rivers /ˈrɪvərz/ A1	noun - a large natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another such stream
direction /dəˈrekʃn/ A2	noun - a course along which someone or something moves
owl /aʊl/ B1	noun - a nocturnal bird of prey with large forward-facing eyes surrounded by a facial disc, a hooked beak, and sharp talons
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise in each twenty-four hours
darkness /ˈdɑːrknəs/ B1	noun - the state of being dark

Key Grammar Structures

• I've been walkin' in my sleep

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous

  ➔ Uses the auxiliary verb "have/has been" + the verb in the ing form. The Present Perfect Continuous emphasizes the duration of the action that started in the past and continues to the present moment. Here, it indicates the singer has been walking in their sleep for some time.

• Countin' troubles 'stead of countin' sheep

  ➔ Use of "instead of" to show contrast

  ➔ "Instead of" is a prepositional phrase that introduces an alternative to something. Here, it indicates that the singer is "countin' troubles" rather than the traditional method to fall asleep, "countin' sheep".

• Where the years went I can't say

  ➔ Embedded question acting as a noun clause (indirect question)

  ➔ The clause "Where the years went" is a question that's embedded within a larger sentence. Instead of asking a direct question (Where did the years go?), it's used as a noun clause that serves as the object of the verb "say". The word order changes from question word + auxiliary + subject + verb to question word + subject + verb.

• They tell a story I used to know

  ➔ "Used to" to express past habits or states

  ➔ "Used to" + base form of the verb indicates something that was true or done regularly in the past but is no longer true or done. The singer no longer knows the story.

• And it was one that happened so long ago

  ➔ Relative Clause with "that"

  ➔ "That happened so long ago" is a relative clause that modifies the pronoun "one" (referring to 'a story'). "That" introduces the clause and acts as the subject within the clause itself.

• Where the rivers change direction

  ➔ Relative clause acting as an adverbial modifier

  ➔ The clause "Where the rivers change direction" modifies "the mountainside", describing *where* on the mountainside the speaker finds themself. It provides additional information about the location.

• Softly as the night was fallin'

  ➔ Simile using 'as' to make a comparison

  ➔ The structure 'as + adjective/adverb + as' is a simile. In this case, the owl called "softly" which compares to how the "night was fallin'".

• The finest hour that I have seen

  ➔ Superlative adjective with relative clause

  ➔ "Finest" is the superlative form of "fine," indicating the highest degree of quality. The relative clause "that I have seen" modifies "hour" and specifies which hour is being described as the finest.