Posts
Lakota Dark Clouds
I got on my horse and we headed north
Never guessin' what might come forth
As we trotted along into the Black Hills mouth
I began to wonder, should we be goin' south?
Above us were loomin' those Lakota Dark Clouds
Bearing down upon us, yes, Lakota Dark Clouds
Drummin' in the distance, had heard that sound before
Smoke was risin' from that distant plateau floor
Our scout returnin' began to come in view
Sitting Bull was spotted, what're we gonna do?
All 'round us we're seein' Lakota Dark Clouds
Growin' bigger, oh yes, Lakota Dark Clouds
Coyote calls were heard as the sun began to set
Fears were growin' but the real danger not yet met
Wind was howlin' down the narrow canyon walls
To keep on goin' would take some real big balls
In the twilight, still see those Lakota Dark Clouds
Gettin' darker, oh yes, Lakota Dark Clouds
Sittin' on our bedrolls, eatin' beans warmed in the fire
Gettin' home alive, our only real desire
Nervous whispers and restless sleep that nightWhile changin' lookouts, guarded the moonlight
In the dark, still feelin' those Lakota Dark Clouds
Seems like always with us, yes, Lakota Dark Clouds
Startled awake by a soaring hawk's daybreak call
Climb back on horses, feelin' small, but sittin' tall
Must keep movin' forward, as quiet as we can
Crossed the line of safety for ordinary man
Now turquoise skies, are there no Lakota Dark Clouds?
Pray we make it through, safe from Lakota Dark Clouds
Trails are gettin' rugged, begin to feel hemmed in
Ledges all around us, thinkin' 'bout next o' kin
The map showed a clear passage to our far off goal
But we're in a box canyon, the walls dark as coal
Look up, rollin' in are those Lakota Dark Clouds
They're back again, oh yes, Lakota Dark Clouds
Reachin' the ridge, head down to the forest below
Many foot paths trampled, we hope by wild doe
It all seems too quiet, no singin' by the birds
Look off in the distance, see no buffalo herds
All around are growin' those Lakota Dark Clouds
No doubt about it, ah yes, Lakota Dark Clouds
Natives all around us, we had no place to go!
Bull, no longer sittin', came t'ward us, awful slow
Now no chance of runnin', as captured in their trap
Sitting Bull had waited, we landed in his lap
Our hearts sank low, done in by Lakota Dark Clouds
We'll never escape now from Lakota Dark Clouds
We felt a strong proud presence, on us it did pull
Made the great Sun Dance Alliance, here Sitting Bull
Made the great Sun Dance Alliance, here Sitting Bull
He warned of his vision, soldiers falling nearby
Peered into my eyes, "like grasshoppers from the sky"
We're now at the mercy of Lakota Dark Clouds
Will they make us suffer, those Lakota Dark Clouds?
Having heard our sad story and pleas for escape
He considered our future, we're now in bad shape
Looks after these people in their island of trees
We all stood there a shakin', while tryin' to freeze
For all 'round us we're feelin' Lakota Dark Clouds
Far above and beyond us, Lakota Dark Clouds
We had entered the sacred center of their world
For nine thousand years, here Indian lives have swirled
"But you're not the enemy we'll soon be facing
Trespassing white man soldiers, we'll surely be chasing"Ancient lands looked over by Lakota Dark Clouds
Dark forests of life under Lakota Dark Clouds
"The Great Spirit gave us Pahá Sápa, this land
Hunting grounds to nourish, so here we make our stand
Hunting grounds to nourish, so here we make our stand
Go back to your world, your families to grow
And here supernatural powers we'll show"Ancient truths intoned under Lakota Dark Clouds
Our lives don't belong under Lakota Dark Clouds
Sitting Bull bowed before us, and we can depart
Relieved, we thank him, from the bottom of our heart
Need not be welcomed, anywhere we wish to go
Create our own future, while not makin' a foe Around we admire these Lakota Dark Clouds
Home to proud people under Lakota Dark Clouds
We mounted our horses and followed their guides
Headin' south with great gifts of buffalo hides
More tribes still a'comin', Alliance would grow
Secure ancient homelands, invaders reap what they sow
We learned a good lesson from Lakota Dark Clouds
Proud people protected by Lakota Dark Clouds
© Ron Chester 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2 comments:
I like it! While reading it I kept getting flashes of "John Wesley Harding" for some reason--I guess because it's a longer ballad.
Do you have any music in mind? If I ever haul out the guitar, maybe I'll see if I get inspired... minor key, steady, ominous rhythm....
Is this based on a particular historical incident...?
And what is "Paha Sapa"???
Glad you like it, stp!
> Do you have any music in mind?
> minor key, steady, ominous rhythm....
That sounds just right, especially the 'ominous.' No music has come to me, only lyrics, so watch for some inspiration. I guess I could follow the folk tradition of finding an old song with the right tune and stealing it.
> Is this based on a particular historical incident...?
Well we know these events occurred between June 5, 1876, which is the date that Sitting Bull had his vision at the Sun Dance of "soldiers falling into his camp like grasshoppers from the sky" and June 25, 1876, which is when the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne defeated Custer at the Little Bighorn. You won't find the events in this ballad in any history book. But I will say that I wrote it with no idea in advance of where it was going. I simply described the images that came to me over a period of several days. So was my muse sending me these images, or were they already stored away from the past, or what?
Dylan's song was based on John Wesley Hardin. I looked him up and found that he was alive during this period, but almost certainly in Texas and not in the Black Hills during the three weeks in question. But I'm pleased that my lyrics gave you flashes of Dylan's song!
For Paha Sapa, the sacred center of the world for the Sioux people, I added a link in the text of the ballad, as well as for a number of the other names and phrases. I decided there was no rule against a writer annotating his own song.
If you look at these links, you'll learn that Indians have inhabited the Black Hills since at least 7000 BC. In 1980 the Supreme Court ruled that they were illegally taken from the people, violating the 1868 treaty that assured they would remain their land forever. The Court awarded them $106 million, which has now grown to nearly one billion dollars with interest, but they have refused to accept one thin dime, as proud people don't sell their sacred lands to anyone at any price.
Post a Comment