Here is a simple version of The Great Divide by Queensryche, another great
song from their album TRIBE (2003). The basic riff is quite simple to play,
but I'm not quite sure about the key: this version is transcribed from their
live performance on THE ART OF LIVE (2004).
Edit (18/1/09): some of the chords in the original were a key off; I've corrected them now.
Two guitars are required, at least on the choruses and intro, to get the
whole effect. Guitar 1 is a distorted electric, and guitar 2 is a clean
electric during the verses and a distorted electric during the chorus.
The G and F chords in the song are actually played as E chord shapes on the
second and fourth frets respectively, with the other strings left open, thus:
EADGBe
F: 033200
G: 055400
Other chords used:
EADGBe
Am (5th fret) : 577655
C : 335553
C#maj7 : 446564
If you're playing this acoustic, you can also use open chords:
Am (1st fret) : 002210
C : 332010
Guitar 1 plays this throughout the intro and choruses:
E|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|
G|--5b-(let ring)--6b-3b--(let ring)--|
D|------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|
Guitar 2 plays the following chords during the intro and the choruses:
Am(Vth fret) C F5 G5 (twice) and then end on F5
With that out of the way, let's get to the song itself:
The Great Divide
Lyrics: Geoff Tate
Music: Michael Wilton (who once again constructs a truly memorable song out
of simple elements!)
Intro:
Guitar 1 plays alone for 2 bars.
Then Guitar 2 (along with bass and drums) enters for another 2 bars,
finally ending on an F5 chord (let it ring!)
Verse 1:
(Strum C#maj7 once each time and let ring, until the "south", when you should
switch to a distorted tone and play F5 continuously.)
C#maj7
I'd reconciled my anger, got outside of danger,
C#maj7
I was waiting for some signal, a sign from angels.
C#maj7
When the tide turns against you
C#maj7
it's a strange sensation, a revelation of imagination.
C#maj7
I could change my course and face the flow,
C#maj7 F5
reap the seeds that I had sewn or follow that old river south
F5 G5
Here's what I found out...
Chorus:
Guitar 1 plays exactly the same riff as the intro.
Guitar 2 plays distorted chords as follows:
Am C F5 G5 Am C F5 G5
I was standing on the Great Divide looking out across America.
Am C F5 G5
Trying to find my truth, define it for myself.
Am C F5
I died the day when I saw this place.
F5 G5 F5 G5
I saw what I could lose.
Verse 2 is exactly the same as verse 1:
C#maj7
A very simple mechanism separates the fool from wisdom.
C#maj7
The lines between us are not real.
C#maj7
Conditioning is what makes us feel ignorant.
F5
And apathy will feed our hate.
So we can never give in.
Chorus and end:
Am C F5 G5 Am C F5 G5
There I was standing at the Great Divide, looking for the truth in America.
Am C F5 G5
For all that time I searched, when I closed my eyes,
Am C
I found the thing I was looking for.
F5 G5 F5 G5 F5
I had it all the time.
and then repeat:
So are we standing at the Great Divide?
Is there hope for America?
Take the flag we wave, the freedoms that we sing.
Without respect for one another,
it doesn't mean a thing....
End by repeating the chorus riff - the song ends, quite
appropriately, on an unresolved note both musically and lyrically.
That's about it! There are some fills in between that I couldn't quite
figure out: if anyone does, please let me know!
