The great American West

When you look back on real history
The realization comes
Not from visiting the moon
But the sound of native drums
The wigwams by the river
The bison herds who ran
The wilderness was teeming
Thats when the west began

When harmony with nature
Was apparent everywhere
Animals wild animals
They were always there
The wolf the bison and the bear
Shared the countryside
With the indigenous protectors
Then came our genocide

Fuelled by greed and corporatism
The tsunami wave
That tore into the people
Who never knew a grave
They were all just slaughtered
Just for being there
Just for being native to a place
And so aware

That was the crime and The price they paid
For caring about the land
For caring about the river
Which they did understand
Living in the forest
Protecting all about
Living close to nature
Living without doubt

The white man came his bible
Firmly in his hand
Singing about jesus
In his mirror he looked grand
All those awful people
The wild souls of the plain
They were a bunch of savages
Seen just as a drain

On the new civilization
That lived in towns and cared
These savages in tribal places
They should be running scared
And over the years were slaughtered
The children sent away
Their women raped and murdered
The nations made to pay

The wilderness was ruined
Money the new god
Trees and oil and minerals
Were torn out of the sod
And now we see at standing rock
The great Sioux people they
Saw DAPL coming for them
So they made a stand to say

We are the water deviners
The protectors of the land
If we come together we can try to understand
At least give prayer and thought
To why we need to protect the land
Not Run these filthy pipelines everywhere
All understand

This government are made up of
Sheisters yes they are
In it for what they get out of it
And the countryside they scar
We are on reservations
And treaties have been lost
Theses corporates have bought the politicans
And it has cost

The rest of us our livelihoods
Our homes our countryside
Laws were changed to accomodate
Easements where they all lied
Eminent domain was born where they steal our land
We are ruled by corporations
The flames of power are fanned

By the brain dead heartless grey suits
They are now everywhere
Rigging their own elections
And promising despair
And now law enforcement
Protect the corporation
The people are the terrorists
A subjugated nation

We felt their rubber bullets
Their water cannon hurt
We felt the mace right in our face
With our faces in the dirt
We felt the pepper in our eyes
Our cries few though did hear
The bean bag rounds the humvees
And the concerted fear

Greed leads to more greed
Humanity is dying
Corporatism has taken charge
It is death defying
Standing rock is standing still
Despite the wintry blast
Despite the lying oil men
Who were sure we couldnt last

Its shareholders and board rooms
And banksters everywhere
Its darkness where there was always light
Its people who don’t care
This is where we are alas
And we must use our power
For there is strength in numbers
Of that now be aware

Divest in all those corporate banks
Supporting corporate greed
Take your money away from them
Like vampires they do feed
Blood sucking darkly monsters
Who need to feel the pain
Divest and see them falter
For they are the nations drain

Inspired by magpie waters productions