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The Great Divide

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Cmajor

90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

1/3

Tempo 80 BPMVol

Sound:

Position

Step 1 / 3Position: 3

1 index2 middle3 ring4 pinkyO openSpace = play/pause

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#maj7I'd reconciled my anger, got outside of danger,
C#maj7I was waiting for some signal, a sign from angels.
C#maj7When the tide turns against you
C#maj7it's a strange sensation, a revelation of imagination.
C#maj7I could change my course and face the flow, 
C#maj7reap the seeds that I had sewn or follow that old river sF5outh
Here's what I found oF5ut...G5  
Chorus:
Guitar 1 plays exactly the same riff as the intro.
Guitar 2 plays distorted chords as follows:
AmI was Cstanding F5on the Great DivG5ide Amlooking Cout acroF5ss America.G5  
AmTrying to Cfind my truth, F5define it for G5myself.
AmI died the day when I Csaw this placeF5.
F5I saw what I could loseG5.F5  G5  
Verse 2 is exactly the same as verse 1:
C#maj7A very simple mechanism separates the fool from wisdom.
C#maj7The lines between us are not real.
C#maj7Conditioning is what makes us feel ignorant.
And F5apathy will feed our hate.
So we can never give in.
Chorus and end:
AmThere I Cwas standing F5at the Great DivG5ide, lAmooking foCr the truth in F5AmericaG5.
AmFor all that time CI searched, F5when I closed my G5eyes,
AmI found the thing I was loCoking for.
F5I had it all the time.G5  F5  G5  F5  
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!

All chords in this song (7)

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The Great Divide

by Queensrÿche

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

C#maj7

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

: 033200

: 055400

Other chords used:

EADGBe

Am (5th fret) : 577655

: 335553

C#maj7

: 446564

If you're playing this acoustic, you can also use open chords:

Am (1st fret) : 002210

: 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 C F5 G5 F5

(Vth fret) (twice) and then end on

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.

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!

About The Great Divide Tab by Queensrÿche

Learn how to play The Great Divide by Queensrÿche with free guitar tab, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Great Divide chords”, “The Great Divide guitar chords”, or “Queensrÿche The Great Divide chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy The Great Divide chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Great Divide lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include G, F, E, Am, C, C#maj7.

FAQ — The Great Divide by Queensrÿche

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The tab for "The Great Divide" show the original chord names (including G, F, E, Am, C, C#maj7). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.