Continental Divide

"**Continental Divide**" is a song about Alice Healy and Thomas Price's courtship. It is a duet, and was never performed live successfully until 2017, when Seanan performed it with Alastair Gibson at the 38th LexiCon in New Zealand. It was released on her 2013 album "Stars Fall Home".

## Lyrics

Source: https://seananmcguire.com/songbook.php?id=19

Note: The lyrics given in Seanan's songbook are slightly different from the ones in the video of the live performance.

Female singer's lines are in **bold**, male singer's in *italic*. Lines sung by both are in ***bold italic***.

 ***They were the hostages of a common language,***

***Victims of the continental divide.***

*She said ‘yes,’* **and he heard ‘no.’**

**He said ‘stay,’** *and she heard ‘go.’*

***It seemed their love was destined to be denied.***

***Shipwrecked on the continental divide.***

**He was born where everything you do has been done before,**

**And history hangs ancient on the vine.**

**The cold Atlantic watched him beating on the future’s door,**

**And knew one day he’d leave the past behind.**

***He was heading for the setting sun,***

***Son of England, on the run,***

**Hoping that he might be satisfied --**

**Searching for the continental divide.**

*She was born where everything you do is something new,*

*And destiny is simple to forget.*

*She ran through life so fast it seemed as though she nearly flew,*

*And never took a moment to regret.*

***She was waiting, restless, by the wood,***

***Hoping life would do her good,***

*Looking for a door she hadn’t tried --*

*Daughter of the continental divide.*

***How they met* doesn’t matter; *all that matters is they met.***

***Every moment* changes lifetimes, *even moments we regret.***

*She said her name was Alice.* **He said that he was charmed.**

***But their words kept changing meanings,* left them frozen and alarmed...**

***No one ever told them languages lied***

***When you’re standing on the continental divide.***

*Sometimes words get tangled, signals fade and lines get crossed --*

*Sometimes what we mean just can’t get through.*

*They both knew what they wanted, but the meanings just got lost;*

*Sometimes there’s no way to know what’s true.*

***They both felt that they were speaking clear,***

***And somehow, neither one could hear***

*The feelings they weren’t bothering to hide...*

*Scrambled by the continental divide.*

**They fell in love the way some people get in accidents;**

**Sometimes luck decides the way things go.**

**He said ‘I love you’, but she never realized what he meant**

**And you can’t act on what you never know.**

***They were hiding, hoping to be found,***

***Fumbling for common ground,***

**Hoping that their meanings would collide...**

**Fumbling for the continental divide.**

*She said ‘yes,’* **and he heard ‘no.’**

**He said ‘stay,’** *and she heard ‘go.’*

***It seemed their love was destined to be denied.***

***Shipwrecked on the continental divide.***

*She said that she was leaving; what she meant was ‘make me stay.’*

*It’s hard to tell the truth when you’re afraid.*

**He said that he would miss her, when the things he meant to say**

**Were ‘please’ and ‘I’d be happy if you stayed.’**

***The story could have ended there,***

***But he wrapped his fingers through her hair,***

***And said, ‘there’s just one thing we haven’t tried’ --***

***And he kissed her on the continental divide.***

***They found a common language --***

**He put his hand on hers.**

***They found a common language***

*That wasn’t based on words.*

***That night she/he told him/her everything,***

***And neither of them lied,***

***For they were finally standing on***

***The same side of the continental divide.***

***Now she says ‘yes’, and they both know;***

***He says ‘stay’ -- where would they go?***

***Sometimes a happy ending can be supplied***

***To the ones who spend their lifetimes on***

***The continental divide -- she says ‘yes,'***

***And they both know...***

***They’re the children of the continental divide.***