lp discography - covers & lyrics

1.

AS LONG AS THE GRASS SHALL GROW

(Peter La Farge)
« © '63 Alpha Musicana, BMI »
As long as the moon shall rise as long as the rivers flow
As long as the sun will shine as long as the grass shall grow

The Senecas are an Indian tribe of the Iroquios nation
Down on the New York Pennsylvania Line you'll find their reservation
After the US revolution cornplanter was a chief
He told the tribe these men they could trust that was his true belief
He went down to Independence Hall and there was a treaty signed
That promised peace with the USA and Indian rights combined
George Washington gave his signature the Government gave its hand
They said that now and forever more that this was Indian land
As long as the moon shall rise...

On the Seneca reservation there is much sadness now
Washington's treaty has been broken and there is no hope no how
Across the Allegheny River they're throwing up a dam
It will flood the Indian country a proud day for Uncle Sam
It has broke the ancient treaty with a politician's grin
It will drown the Indians graveyards cornplanter can you swim
The earth is mother to the the Senecas they're trampling sacred ground
Change the mint green earth to black mud flats as honor hobbles down
As long as the moon shall rise...

The Iroquios Indians used to rule from Canada way south
But no one fears the Indians now and smiles the liar's mouth
The Senecas hired an expert to figure another site
But the great good army engineers said that he had no right
Although he showed them another plan and showed them another way
They laughed in his face and said no deal Kinuza dam is here to stay
Congress turned the Indians down brushed off the Indians plea
So the Senecas have renamed the dam they call it Lake Perfidy
As long as the moon shall rise...

Washington Adams and Kennedy now hear their pledges ring
The treaties are safe we'll keep our word but what is that gurgling
It's the back water from Perfidy Lake it's rising all the time
Over the homes and over the fields and over the promises fine
No boats will sail on Lake Perfidy in winter it will fill
In summer it will be a swamp and all the fish will kill
But the Government of the USA has corrected George's vow
The father of our country must be wrong what's an Indian anyhow
As long as the moon shall rise (look up) as long as the rivers flow (are you thirsty)
As long as the sun will shine (my brother are you warm) as long as the grass shall grow
**********

2.

APACHE TEARS

(Johnny Cash)
« © '64 Anne Rachel Music, ASCAP / Song Of Cash Music, ASCAP »
Hoof prints and foot prints deep ruts the wagons made
The victor and the loser came by here
No head stones but these bones bring Mascalero death moans
See the smooth black nuggets by the thousands laying here
Petrified but justified are these Apache tears
Dead grass dry roots hunger crying in the night
Ghost of broken hearts and laws are here
And who saw the young squaw they judged by their whiskey law
Tortured till she died of pain and fear
Where the soldiers lay her back are the black Apache tears
The young men the old men the guilty and the innocent
Bled red blood and chilled alike with tears
The red men the white men no fight ever took this land
So don't raise the dust when you pass here
They're sleeping and in my keeping are these Apache tears
**********

3.

CUSTER

(Peter La Farge)
« © '63 Alpha Musicana, BMI »
Now I will tell you buster that I ain't a fan of Custer
And the General he don't ride well anymore
To some he was a hero but to me his score was zero
And the General he don't ride well anymore
Now Custer done his fightin' without too much excitin'
And the General he don't ride well anymore
General Custer come in pumpin' when the men were out a huntin'
But the General he don't ride well anymore
With victories he was swimmin' he killed children dogs and women
But the General he don't ride well anymore
Crazy Horse sent out the call just to Sitting Bull and Gall
And the General he don't ride well anymore
Now Custer split his men well he won't do that again
Cause the General he don't ride well anymore
Twelve thousand warriors waited they were unanticipated
And the General he don't ride well anymore
It's not called an Indian victory but a bloody massacre
And the General he don't ride well anymore
There might have been more enthusin' if us Indians had been losin'
But the General he don't ride well anymore
General George A.Custer oh his yellow hair had lustre
But the General he don't ride well anymore
For now the General's silent he got barbered violent
And the General he don't ride well anymore
Oh the General he don't ride well anymore
**********

4.

TALKING LEAVES

(Johnny Cash)
« © '64 Anne Rachel Music, ASCAP / Song Of Cash Music, ASCAP »
Sequoia's winters were sixteen silent tongue spirit clean
He walked at his father's side
Across the smoking battle ground where red and white men lay all around
So many here had died
The wind had scattered around snow white leaves upon the ground
Not leaves like leaves from trees
Sequoia said what can this be what's the strange thing here I see
From where come leaves like these
Sequoia turned to his father's eyes and he said father you're wise
From where come such snow white leaves
With such strange marks upon these squares
Not even the wise owl could put them there
So strange these snow white leaves
His father shielding his concern resenting the knowledge Sequoia yearned
Crumbled the snow white leaves
He said when I explain then it's done these are talking leaves my son
The white men's talking leaves
The white man takes a berry of black and red
And an eagle's feather from the eagle's bed
And he makes bird track marks
And the marks on the leaves they say carry messages to his brother far away
And his brother knows what's in his heart
They see these marks and they understand the truth in the heart of the far off man
The enemies can't hear them
Said Sequoia's father son they weave bad medicine on these talking leaves
Leave such things to them
Then Sequoia walking lightly followed his father quietly but so amazed was he
If the white man talks on leaves why not the Cherokee
Vanished from his father's face Sequoia went from place to place
But he could not forget
Year after year he worked on and on till finally he cut into stone
The Cherokee alphabet
Sequoia's hair by now was white his eyes began to lose their light
But he taught all who would believe
That the Indian's thoughts could be written down
Just as the white men's there on the ground and he left us these talking leaves
**********

5.

BALLAD OF IRA HAYES

(Peter La Farge)
« © '63 Edward B Marks Music, BMI »
Ira Hayes Ira Hayes call him drunken Ira Hayes he won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinking Indian nor the marine that went to war

Gather round me people there's a story I would tell
Bout a brave young Indian you should remember well
From the land of the Pima Indians a proud and noble band
Who farmed the Phoenix Valley in Arizona land
Down their ditches for a thousand years the waters grew Ira's people's crops
Till the white man stole their water right and their sparkling water stopped
Now Ira's folks grew hungry and their land grew crops and weeds
When war came Ira volunteered and forgot the white man's greed
Call him drunken Ira Hayes...

Well they battled up Iwo Jima Hill two hundred and fifty men
But only 27 lived to walk back down again
And when the fight was over and old glory raised
Among the men who helt it high was the Indian Ira Hayes
Call him drunken Ira Hayes...

Ira Hayes returned a hero celebrated through the land
He was wined and speeched and honored everybody shook his hand
But he was just a Pima Indian no water no home no chance
At home nobody cared what Ira's done and when do the Indians dance
Call him drunken Ira Hayes...

Then Ira started drinking hard jail was often his home
They let him raise the flag and lower it like you would throw a dog a bone
He died drunk early one morning alone in the land he'd fought to save
Two inches of water in a lonely ditch was the grave for Ira Hayes
Call him drunken Ira Hayes...
Yeah call him drunken Ira Hayes but his land is just as dry
And his ghost is laying thirsty in the ditch where Ira died
**********

6.

DRUMS

(Peter La Farge)
« © '63 Lazy LF Publishing, BMI »
From the Indian reservation to the governmental school
Well they're goin' to educate me to the white men's Golden Rule
And I'm learning very quickly for I've learned to be ashamed
And I come when they call Billy though I've got an Indian name
And there are drums beyond the mountain Indian drums that you can't hear
There are drums beyond the mountain and they're getting mighty near

And when they think that they'd changed me cut my hair to meet their needs
Will they think I'm white or Indian quarter blood or just half breed
Let me tell you Mr teacher when you say you'll make me right
In five hundred years of fighting not one Indian turned white
And there are drums...

Well you thought that I knew nothing when you brought me here to school
Just another empty Indian just America's first fool
But now I can tell you stories that are burnt and dried and old
But in the shadow of their telling walks the thunder proud and bold
And there are drums...

Long Pine and Sequoia Handsome Lake and Sitting Bull
There's Magnus Colorado with his sleeves so red and full
Crazy Horse the legend those who bit off Custer's soul
They are dead yet they are living with the great Geronimo
And there are drums...

Well you may teach me this land's hist'ry but we taught it to you first
We broke your hearts and bent your journeys broken treaties left us cursed
Even now you have to cheat us even though you this us tame
In our losing we found proudness in your winning you found shame
And there are drums...
**********

7.

WHITE GIRL

(Peter La Farge)
« © '64 Lazy LF Publishing, BMI »
I am stunned and I am broken and my head is in my hand
For she who said she love me will not wed an Indian man
My Gods who were wild ridden stand quiet by my side
For although I loved her she would not be my bride
Oh goodbye softly sweet one it was splended while it ran
Goodbye my bitter white girl I'll forget you if I can

She came up to the pueblo with her bright blonde hair
They told me not to love her but I did not care
She took me to her parties she carried me around
And I was a proud one the tallest man in town
For I found great wonder all wrapped in brilliant dreams
I held her strong but gentle as kings have held their queens
I learned to drink strong whiskey as she took me here and there
Until life without my whiskey I could not bear
Oh goodbye softly sweet one...
[ guitar ] Well when she came to leave me she took me by the arm
And she said she loved me and would not do me harm
But she would not marry not an Indian she said
She thanked me for my offer and I wished that I was dead
Now I'm back among my people and they are kind to me
Although I'm sad with staggers when I drink that tough whiskey
For I've been a white girl's pet a captive Indian
Shown off and discarded just a drunk who might have been
Oh goodbye softly sweet one...
Goodbye softly sweet one...
**********

8.

VANISHING RACE

(Johnny Cash - Johnny Horton)
« © '64 House Of Cash, BMI / Unichappell Music, BMI »
Ii Ii ou Ii Ii Ii ou Ii Ii ou
Oh wagon trains rollin' along they fade from my visions and in time will be gone
I see an eagle in space my people will follow oh oh a vanishing race

Ii Ii ou Ii Ii Ii ou Ii Ii ou
An Indian brave rolled along one day on a lonely mountain trail
And he gazed below with a heart of woe where the prairie schooners sail
A vision formed like a mortal storm in the dust of the wagon train
A vanishing race appeared in space and he sang his sad refrain
Ii Ii ou Ii Ii Ii ou Ii Ii ou
Oh wagon trains rollin' along...

Oh now great spirits on high please spare them the sorrow you show to my eye oh oh
Now my blankets are roll and I ride to the valley of the brave Navajo oh oh
Ii Ii ou Ii Ii Ii ou Ii Ii ou
And I ride to the valley of the brave Navajo oh oh
Oh oh a vanishing Navajo oh the vanishing Navajo
Ii Ii ou Ii Ii Ii ou Ii Ii ou
**********