Noah Kahan, one of his generation’s most clever songwriters, is back with his fourth studio album, The Great Divide. He followed that up immediately with the deluxe version, adding the subtitle The Last of the Bugs, which is a reference to a line from “The View Between Villages.”
It also became the name of an alternate account that Kahan used to release snippets of upcoming songs, including “Porch Light,” which became a lead single on the album shortly after. It also teased a song that wasn’t on the tracklist, but fans were delighted when it and three others showed up on that deluxe version.
It wouldn’t be a Kahan project without biting, searing lyrics that cut deep to the core of listeners. So, to that end, here are the best from all 21 songs on the project.
Best Noah Kahan Lyrics From The Great Divide
End of August
“The minute that September hits, I’m goin’ off my medicine, oh. Late August angst and a pointless night. Oh, and the feelin’ of being alive, for the first time in a long time.” When the world starts to get cooler for the fall and winter, things can be pretty dreary, but this is also when we might finally feel something.
Doors
“‘Cause I’m the trouble ahead, and I scream in my sleep. You’re puttin’ money on red, I’m a sure bet at a losin’ streak.” Self-deprecation is a common theme in Kahan’s work, but it speaks to an unfortunately universal feeling of self-loathing. This line hits right at the core of that, warning anyone who might “get too close,” as an earlier lyric mentions, that it’s a bad idea.
American Cars
“Make the house a home, you know how to talk. Well, you did back then, we would talk so much. And it’s fine we don’t, but can you come home?” Conversations with loved ones can be the thing that turns a house into a home, but eventually, those conversations die out, and the relationships can wither. Sad stuff.
Downfall
“I’m leanin’ towards a subject change in a sentimental moment.” It can be extremely difficult to be vulnerable and open with people, and when those opportunities come up, so many of us will look to immediately change the subject and make things a little lighter.
Lighthouse
“But I look out at the wreckage of you. For as long as there’s light, for as long as you last.” Noah Kahan seems to be referencing another line from “Halloween,” giving himself a new perspective. Instead of living in the wreckage of loss, he’s looking at it from afar, still keeping watch and thinking about it while needing to move on.
Paid Time Off
“Someone once said there’s a world out there, but we don’t care enough to drive that far.” This feels very much like a lyric that could’ve been included on Stick Season. When you’re in a small place, you know the world outside is big, but it’s scary to go after it. The same is true of relationships.
Staying Still
“Oh, I can’t keep on starting over. Sleepin’ in a bed half empty, daydreamin’. All love must leave, oh, but search for it I will.” When love is lost, there’s a tendency to feel like that should be it and that you’ll never or should never love again. But humans can’t help searching for it even after that.
The Great Divide
“You know I think about you all the time, and my deep misunderstanding of your life.” We never know what someone is going through, even if they’re our closest friend. At some point, we have to recognize that we have a “deep misunderstanding” of others that might cause The Great Divide.
Haircut
“But at least I got a soul still, even if I’m in a bad placе, even if I’m eatin’ fast food, sleepin’ at my dad’s place.” Whatever happens in your life, no matter how horrible it might get, you’re still human. You still have a soul, and that means everything.
Willing and Able
“Oh, I wish you could know me, and I wish I could know you much more sometimes. Wish I could do nothin’ with you, sit in the yard while the day dies.” We all have friends or family members with whom we used to fight who are no longer around. Missing those fights, or better, those people, and coming to the realization that neither of you knows each other anymore can be painful.
Dashboard
“It ain’t our fault that you aren’t suddenly somebody else, cause you’ve worked on yourself, got a dog. You’re an a*****e after all.” We all know that person who swears they’ve changed but is still the same person deep down. On a broader level, it’s a good reminder that real change requires a lot of genuine work and time.
23
“Sprinting my way past your bedroom, lifting the weight of you off my mind. Cause if I never see you again, and you could be anything I want.” We don’t all have siblings we’ve lost contact with due to substance abuse, but we do all have people we don’t engage with anymore, and when that relationship dies, they can, in theory, be anything after that point. Schrodinger’s friend, if you will.
Porch Light
“I ain’t holdin’ breath, ain’t holdin’ any faith at all. And I’ll pray for you, be in pain for you, I’ll leave the porch light on. Heartbroken, each morning when it’s me that turns it off.” It is almost impossible to give up hope that someone will return after leaving, but we have the innate need to hold out hope a little longer.
Deny Deny Deny
“Conversation within the conversation. I wanna drop the gloves, but you’re far too patient. I wanna see you lose it, I wanna hear you say it.” When you’re fighting with someone, things can get heated. But when the other party is taking the high road, it can only further frustrate.
Headed North
“But if I see one more Cybertruck, I swear to God, I’m gonna floor it.” This song feels like a strange, unserious inclusion to The Great Divide, but it still has some solid lyrics. This one is the funniest, and I also hate seeing Cybertrucks in my small town, so it’s pretty relatable.
We Go Way Back
“I can’t make myself whole, most days I’d be lucky just to get half. But you’ve seen me in places so low, you can recognize when it’s real bad.” If you’re struggling and in a relationship with someone, then they’ve undoubtedly related to this line.
Spoiled
“Just so my children get spoiled when they get old. So they can f**k up all they want and blame it all on their dad. So they can watch me go to work, fall asleep on the couch. They’ll say, “I wanna be you, but I don’t wanna be that.” This is Noah Kahan’s reckoning with the mega-fame he’s achieved in the last few years and the effect it could have down the line.
All Them Horses
“Know I wanna beat it, wanna beat it bad. Oh, everyone looks happy in a photograph. I’ve crossed the county line, I cannot go back. I’m always on my own.” Loneliness is hard to beat, and it can feel like pretty much every area of your life is cut off from others, and that there’s no way to change that. Plus, crossing the county line is a great way to illustrate the overarching theme of The Great Divide.
A Few of Your Own
“Tell me, love, if the devil ever comes to make good on the debts that I owe. Wish me well, tell the stories I would tell. Go ahead, make a few of your own.” This is a beautiful way to address the importance of art and storytelling in life and in death.
Orbiter
“I’m an astronaut, you’re the Moon. I starе at you, I sing to you. I circle you.” The name of the track implies being in someone’s orbit, and in this case, it seems to be that Kahan is circling fame and his fans in this manner, but it also doubles as a metaphor for love.
Dan
“And we’re so alone most of the time. Most of the time, we don’t have anyone. Where do we go when we die? I wouldn’t mind right here, no, I wouldn’t mind at all.” Male friendships are not as popular in a relationship-driven society, but this is an excellent way to remind everyone how important and valuable they can be.
Conclusion
To me, The Great Divide is not quite as relatable as Stick Season, which perfectly cuts to the core of what it’s like to live your whole life in a small town. But The Great Divide is still fantastic, and it has some of the best songwriting of the year.
