Telegraph Road – English Lyrics

• By: Dire Straits

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a lyrical journey with Dire Straits' 'Telegraph Road,' a profound rock epic that tells a sweeping story through vivid imagery and poetic language. Its intricate narrative, from the birth of a settlement to the struggles of industrial decline, offers a rich vocabulary and compelling storytelling that will deepen your appreciation for English lyrics and the art of songcraft.

[English]

A long time ago came a man on a track

Walking thirty miles with a sack on his back

And he put down his load where he thought it was the best

He made a home in the wilderness

He built a cabin and a winter store

And he ploughed up the ground by the cold lake shore

And the other travellers came walking down the track

And they never went further, no, they never went back

Then came the churches, then came the schools

Then came the lawyers, then came the rules

Then came the trains and the trucks with their loads

And the dirty old track was the Telegraph Road

Then came the mines, then came the ore

Then there was the hard times, then there was a war

Telegraph sang a song about the world outside

Telegraph Road got so deep and so wide

Like a rolling river

And my radio says tonight it's gonna freeze

People driving home from the factories

There's six lanes of traffic

Three lanes moving slow

I used to like to go to work, but they shut it down

I've got a right to go to work, but there's no work here to be found

Yes, and they say we're gonna have to pay what's owed

We're gonna have to reap from some seed that's been sowed

And the birds up on the wires and the telegraph poles

They can always fly away from this rain and this cold

You can hear them singing out their telegraph code

All the way down the Telegraph Road

Well, I'd sooner forget, but I remember those nights

Yeah, life was just a bet on a race between the lights

You had your head on my shoulder, you had your hand in my hair

Now you act a little colder like you don't seem to care

But just believe in me, baby, and I'll take you away

From out of this darkness and into the day

From these rivers of headlights, these rivers of rain

From the anger that lives on the streets with these names

'Cause I've run every red light on memory lane

I've seen desperation explode into flames

And I don't want to see it again

From all of these signs saying, "Sorry, but we're closed"

All the way

Down the Telegraph Road

...

Key Grammar Structures

• A long time ago came a man on a track

  ➔ Inversion

  ➔ The verb "came" precedes the subject "a man" for emphasis and poetic effect. This is a form of **inversion**.

• And he put down his load where he thought it was the best

  ➔ Relative clause

  ➔ The clause "where he thought it was the best" functions as a relative clause, modifying "where". It provides additional information about the place where he put his load.

• And they never went further, no, they never went back

  ➔ Emphasis with repetition and negation

  ➔ The repeated use of "never went" coupled with the "no" intensifies the statement, adding emphasis to the idea of permanent settlement.

• Then came the churches, then came the schools

  ➔ Inversion (similar to the first example)

  ➔ Again, the verb "came" precedes the subject "the churches/schools" for emphasis and to create a certain rhythm.

• I used to like to go to work, but they shut it down

  ➔ Used to + Infinitive / Past simple with "but"

  ➔ This sentence uses "used to" to describe a past habit ("I used to like to go to work") and contrasts it with the present situation using "but" and the past simple "shut".

• Yes, and they say we're gonna have to pay what's owed

  ➔ Reported speech and future tense with "be going to"

  ➔ This sentence contains a reported speech construction ("they say") introducing the future tense using "be going to". "What's owed" is a relative clause.

• You had your head on my shoulder, you had your hand in my hair

  ➔ Repetition and parallel structure

  ➔ The repetition of "you had" followed by similar phrases creates a parallel structure, emphasizing the shared past and a sense of intimacy.

• From these rivers of headlights, these rivers of rain

  ➔ Metaphor/Figurative language and repetition

  ➔ This line uses the metaphors "rivers of headlights" and "rivers of rain" to create vivid imagery. The repetition of "rivers" adds to the poetic effect.