In The Valley – English Lyrics

• By: Midnight Oil
• Album: Earth and Sun and Moon

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

My grandfather went down with the MonteVideo

The rising sun sent him floating to his rest

And his wife fled south to Sydney seeking out safe harbour

A North Shore matron she became with some paying guests

My father went down with the curse of big cities

Traffic tolls and deadlines took him to his peace

Now Bob Dyer glued us to our seats

And lawns were always Victa neat

Whilst Menzies fawned at royal fleet do you remember?

In the valley I walk, I took some comfort there

In the valley I walk, cold comfort I can hear you talk

In the valley I walk, who will take me there?

When my mother went down it was a stiff arm from Hades

Life surprises and tears you like the southerly

She always welcomed the spring always welcomed the stranger

I don't see too many around like this

Oh no, that's what I'm looking for, yeah, what we're looking for

In the valley I walk - who will take me there

In the valley I walk - cold comfort I can hear you talk

In the valley I walk - I took some comfort there

In the valley I walk - oh rough justice I hear you talk

In the valley I walk - to meet my watershed

I hope virtue brings it's own reward

And I hope the pen is mightier than any sword

I hope the kids will take it slow

I hope my country claims it's own

In the valley I walk - I cried yes I cried I was down then I crawled

Mercy's arms all around me when I was down there

In the valley I walk - do you read me they can hear me in the valley

(Moginie/Garrett/Hirst)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - to move on foot by putting one foot in front of the other
comfort /ˈkʌm.fərt/ A2	noun - a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint
curse /kɜːrs/ B1	noun - a cause of great trouble or harm
fled /flɛd/ A2	verb - to run away from danger or pursuit
harbour /ˈhɑːr.bər/ B1	noun - a place where ships can dock safely
matron /ˈmeɪ.trən/ B2	noun - a woman in charge of a hospital ward or other establishment
tolls /toʊlz/ B1	noun - fees paid for using a road or bridge
neat /niːt/ A2	adjective - clean, tidy, and in order
fawned /fɔːnd/ B2	verb - to behave in an overly eager or servile way
justice /ˈdʒʌs.tɪs/ B1	noun - fairness in the way people are treated
virtue /ˈvɜːr.tʃuː/ B2	noun - moral excellence or good qualities
reward /rɪˈwɔːrd/ A2	noun - something given in recognition of one's service or achievement
mightier /ˈmaɪ.ti.ər/ B1	adjective - having greater strength or power
stranger /ˈstreɪn.dʒər/ A1	noun - a person one does not know
watershed /ˈwɔː.tər.ʃɛd/ C1	noun - a turning point or critical moment

Key Grammar Structures

• My grandfather went down with the MonteVideo

  ➔ Simple Past

  ➔ The verb "went" is in the Simple Past, indicating a completed action in the past.

• The rising sun sent him floating to his rest

  ➔ Causative verb + gerund

  ➔ The causative verb "sent" is followed by the gerund "floating" to show that he was caused to float.

• And his wife fled south to Sydney seeking out safe harbour

  ➔ Present participle as adverbial clause

  ➔ The present participle "seeking" adds an additional action that occurs while she fled.

• Now Bob Dyer glued us to our seats

  ➔ Simple Past (idiomatic expression)

  ➔ The verb "glued" is in the Simple Past and forms the idiom "glued us to our seats" meaning to hold someone's attention tightly.

• In the valley I walk, I took some comfort there

  ➔ Mixed tenses (present simple + past simple)

  ➔ The present tense "walk" describes a habitual action, while the past tense "took" reports a specific past event.

• In the valley I walk, cold comfort I can hear you talk

  ➔ Modal verb + bare infinitive

  ➔ The modal "can" is followed by the bare infinitive "hear" to express ability.

• When my mother went down it was a stiff arm from Hades

  ➔ Temporal clause with "when" + past simple

  ➔ The clause begins with "When" to set the time for the main clause "it was..."

• I hope the pen is mightier than any sword

  ➔ Verb of hope + present simple

  ➔ The verb "hope" is followed by the present simple clause "the pen is mightier..." to express a wish about the present/future.

• I hope the kids will take it slow

  ➔ Future with "will" after verb of hope

  ➔ After "hope", the modal "will" introduces a future action that the speaker wishes to happen.