Cherokee Bend
His father was a man who could never understand
The shame on a red mans face
So they lived in the hills and they never came down
But to trade in the white mans place
It was early in the spring when the snow had disappeared
They came down with a bag of skins
In the fall of the year of 1910
Daddy died by the rope down in cherokee bend.
Daddy didnt like what the white man said
bout the dirty little kid at his side
Daddy didnt like what the white man did
Nor the deal or the way that he lied
There was blood on the floor of the government store
When the men took his daddy away
But the boy stayed back till he come to his end
And he run like the wind from cherokee bend.
Now the mother was alone and the winter was at hand
And she prayed to her spirit kin
It was warm in the lodge in the kentucky hills
On the day when the boy came in
Then a blizzard came down and it covered up the door
Till they thought that it never would end
And he told her the tale of the terrible affair
In the government store down in cherokee bend
Daddy didnt like what the white man said
bout the dirty little kid at his side
Daddy didnt like what the white man did
Nor the deal or the way that he lied
For three long days and three long nights
They wept and they mourned and then
She returned to her work and her weavin
And they tried to forget about cherokee bend
Now the boy wasnt big but he hunted what he could
And they lived for a time that way
But the food run low and the meat went bad
And she said to the boy one day
Im leaving tonight and I never will return
From the land of my spirit kin
You must take what you need and trade what you can
For a red mans grave down in cherokee bend
It wasnt very long till she closed her eyes
And he wrapped her in a robe
He found her a place on the side of the hill
And he buried her in the snow
Early in the spring he was seen in the town
With his load looking ragged and thin
Not a year had gone by till he stood once again
In the government store down in cherokee bend
He was ten years tall and a redskin too
So he hadnt much face to save
[...] Read more
song performed by Gordon Lightfoot
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
