Word came that she had married, and we all did wish her well
I swore to profit from my mistake and to heed the tolling bell
And if a girl should capture my fancy, not to let that girl go by
And I raised a glass in a sad salute to the girl from the Great Divide

Now fruits are for the picking, and I picked till I had my fill
But alone I'd find her photograph, and her face, it stayed with me still
Till the night in the crowded tavern where I was ready to play
She stepped up to me smiling, and the years just fell away

And later, over coffee, we talked of the things we'd done
She threw back her head in laughter, it was like she never had gone
And she spoke about her marriage, and the ways of compromise
And I saw how time had touched her face, and the sadness around her eyes

We talked the moon down from the sky and I brought her to my home
And I laid a pallet down on the floor for her to sleep upon
But in the silence that followed our singing she came into my arms
And the dawn was sweet and quiet, and the morning sun was warm

The sea was cold at sunset, and I pressed her to my side
We could not speak and we looked away, our feelings for to hide
And her hands were strong, and her lips were soft, and her eyes a smile did pass
But the rising tide, it drowned out steps, and the sand was smooth as glass

And her dark hair hid her face from me as I saw her to her train
That would carry her back to her husband to whom she would explain
She'd decide if she wanted her freedom, she would write if she wanted to stay
Now I dream at night of the Great Divide, and her voice so far away

She was tall and dark and slender, and she said that she loved the Dance

© 1985 by Josh Joffen (BMI)