Across The Great Divide

 “Across the Great Divide” is a beautiful folk song written by singer-songwriter Kate Wolf in the early 1980s. Since then, it has been covered by many artists—perhaps most notably by folk-country singer Nanci Griffith with Emmylou Harris on Griffith's 1993 album, Other Voices/Other Rooms.

Kate Wolf (born Kathryn Louise Allen; January 27, 1942 – December 10, 1986) was an American folk singer and songwriter. Though her career was relatively short, she had a significant impact on the folk music scene.

Kate Wolf composed over two hundred songs during her fifteen-year folk music career. About a third appear on her albums; those and another third are in her songbooks.

To download the easy alphanotes sheet music, look here. Enjoy!

Lyrics:

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 a-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

And it's gone away in yesterday
Now I find myself on the mountainside
Where the rivers change direction
Across the Great Divide
And it's gone away in yesterday
Now I find myself on the mountainside
It's where the rivers change direction
Across the Great Divide