This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
THE GREAT DIVIDE (I. Davies)
----------------------------
Where the moon sinks low in the southern sky
On the open plains, where the river runs dry
Well, his feet are bare, bare and dusty brown
And a hot wind blows over sacred ground
And a new day brekas
On the mountainside
Reaching out, reaching out
Over the great divide
It?s a long, long road
Stretching out ahead
Step by step, step by step
Over the great divide
On a dead end street in a border town
Where the stray dog sleeps in the midday sun
Now the headline news is old and worn
The pages stained with blood and rain,
And cheap red wine
And his skin is black
The last of his tribe
And he turns his back, turns his back
On the great divide
And a new day breaks
On the mountainside
Reaching out, reaching out
Over the great divide
Solid rock and burning sand
Weathered by the hand of time
Standing high above the storm
Cutting deep against the grain
And the years have come and gone
Leaving all their scars behind
Where the hills begin to climb
there's a legend carved in stone
And a new day breaks
On the mountainside
Reaching out, reaching out
Over the great divide
It?s a long, long road
Stretching out ahead
Step by step, step by step
Over the great divide
And his skin is black
The last of his tribe
And he turns his back, turns his back
On the great divide
It?s a long, long road
That leads him home again
Step by step, step by step
Over the great divide
Harbour Town (Iva Davies)
Well, you can see these people
At the end of every working day
Down at the local bar
Or maybe hanging out in some dark café
Down on the waterfront
As the big grey boats come steaming on home
It?s anybody?s guess
Where the night begins and the party ends
He says, "come on, baby, take a hold of my hand
?cause it?s Saturday night in the Harbour Town
And the city lights up when the sun goes down
It?s Saturday night in the Harbour Town"
And anywhere you look
there's a smooth operator just playing the game
Got the blue jeans, baby,
His hands in his pockets and the same old lines
Looking for a good time
Waiting ?til the ship comes in
He says, "come on, baby, take a hold of my hand
?cause it?s Saturday night in the Harbour Town
And the city lights up when the sun goes down
It?s Saturday night in the Harbour Town"
On the corner of the street where it meets the lane
there's a message on the wall near the telephone
It says, "honey, you can call...call me anytime..."
He says, "come on, baby, take a hold of my hand
?cause it?s Saturday night in the Harbour Town
And the city lights up when the sun goes down
It?s Saturday night in the Harbour Town"
Knockin ?Em Down (Iva Davies)
Well, there's no way out of Marrickville
For the son of the hard working man
Where the punk who has the muscle
Is the leader of the local gang
Well, there's ain't no time for discussion
And there ain't no time to waste
You just take him on single handed
You just push him, ?til it breaks
He said, "hey, that's alright
I can take it for one more round
You can give me your best shot, baby
But the boy keeps knockin ?em down..."
So he grew up wild and reckless
And he grew up quick and mean
?til an enterprising gentleman
Put his talents in the ring
He said, "boy, you're just a renegade
You got no place left to hide"
I can make you fame and fortune
Maybe champion of the world..."
He said, "hey, that's alright
I can take it for one more round
You can give me your best shot, baby
But the boy keeps knockin ?em down..."
He said, "hey, that's alright
I can stand here and hold my ground
You can give me your best shot, baby
But the boy keeps knockin ?em down..."
Well, there's blood on the canvas and leather
And he learned his lesson well
But the boy keeps swingin? those punches
?til he hears that final bell
He said, "hey, that's alright
I can take it for one more round
You can give me your best shot, baby
But the boy keeps knockin ?em down..."
He said, "hey, that's alright
I can stand here and hold my ground
You can give me your best shot, baby
But the boy keeps knockin ?em down..."
He said, "hey, that's alright
You can give me your best shot, baby
But the boy, hey!
But the boy keeps knockin ?em down..."
----------------------------
Where the moon sinks low in the southern sky
On the open plains, where the river runs dry
Well, his feet are bare, bare and dusty brown
And a hot wind blows over sacred ground
And a new day brekas
On the mountainside
Reaching out, reaching out
Over the great divide
It?s a long, long road
Stretching out ahead
Step by step, step by step
Over the great divide
On a dead end street in a border town
Where the stray dog sleeps in the midday sun
Now the headline news is old and worn
The pages stained with blood and rain,
And cheap red wine
And his skin is black
The last of his tribe
And he turns his back, turns his back
On the great divide
And a new day breaks
On the mountainside
Reaching out, reaching out
Over the great divide
Solid rock and burning sand
Weathered by the hand of time
Standing high above the storm
Cutting deep against the grain
And the years have come and gone
Leaving all their scars behind
Where the hills begin to climb
there's a legend carved in stone
And a new day breaks
On the mountainside
Reaching out, reaching out
Over the great divide
It?s a long, long road
Stretching out ahead
Step by step, step by step
Over the great divide
And his skin is black
The last of his tribe
And he turns his back, turns his back
On the great divide
It?s a long, long road
That leads him home again
Step by step, step by step
Over the great divide
Harbour Town (Iva Davies)
Well, you can see these people
At the end of every working day
Down at the local bar
Or maybe hanging out in some dark café
Down on the waterfront
As the big grey boats come steaming on home
It?s anybody?s guess
Where the night begins and the party ends
He says, "come on, baby, take a hold of my hand
?cause it?s Saturday night in the Harbour Town
And the city lights up when the sun goes down
It?s Saturday night in the Harbour Town"
And anywhere you look
there's a smooth operator just playing the game
Got the blue jeans, baby,
His hands in his pockets and the same old lines
Looking for a good time
Waiting ?til the ship comes in
He says, "come on, baby, take a hold of my hand
?cause it?s Saturday night in the Harbour Town
And the city lights up when the sun goes down
It?s Saturday night in the Harbour Town"
On the corner of the street where it meets the lane
there's a message on the wall near the telephone
It says, "honey, you can call...call me anytime..."
He says, "come on, baby, take a hold of my hand
?cause it?s Saturday night in the Harbour Town
And the city lights up when the sun goes down
It?s Saturday night in the Harbour Town"
Knockin ?Em Down (Iva Davies)
Well, there's no way out of Marrickville
For the son of the hard working man
Where the punk who has the muscle
Is the leader of the local gang
Well, there's ain't no time for discussion
And there ain't no time to waste
You just take him on single handed
You just push him, ?til it breaks
He said, "hey, that's alright
I can take it for one more round
You can give me your best shot, baby
But the boy keeps knockin ?em down..."
So he grew up wild and reckless
And he grew up quick and mean
?til an enterprising gentleman
Put his talents in the ring
He said, "boy, you're just a renegade
You got no place left to hide"
I can make you fame and fortune
Maybe champion of the world..."
He said, "hey, that's alright
I can take it for one more round
You can give me your best shot, baby
But the boy keeps knockin ?em down..."
He said, "hey, that's alright
I can stand here and hold my ground
You can give me your best shot, baby
But the boy keeps knockin ?em down..."
Well, there's blood on the canvas and leather
And he learned his lesson well
But the boy keeps swingin? those punches
?til he hears that final bell
He said, "hey, that's alright
I can take it for one more round
You can give me your best shot, baby
But the boy keeps knockin ?em down..."
He said, "hey, that's alright
I can stand here and hold my ground
You can give me your best shot, baby
But the boy keeps knockin ?em down..."
He said, "hey, that's alright
You can give me your best shot, baby
But the boy, hey!
But the boy keeps knockin ?em down..."
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
The Great Divide Lyrics as written by Ivor Arthur Davies
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.