Spirit Buffalo

SPIRIT BUFFALO by Carol Markstrom (BMI)
VERSE 1
Drivin’ late one wintry night across the windswept Plains.
A roar like thunder shook the earth, halted in my haste, froze me to my place.
Through the snow a sight behold a million buffalo.
Black of night, shrouds of white, swirling breath arose, a vision in the snow.
A large one stopped blocked my way a chill went up my spine.
It spoke as to my thoughts looked at me with its fiery eyes, its piercing fiery eyes.
CHORUS
Spirit of the buffalo, rising from ages long ago.
Spirit of the buffalo, carrying a story to be told.
VERSE 2
We are the Buffalo Nation, once ruled the vast Plains.
We’re spirits from the past who will never go away, we’ll roam again someday.
Lakota, Crow, Cheyenne, Mandan, Pawnee, Arapahoe
These our human kin depended on us buffalo, prized our very souls.
Took only what was needed used all that we gave.
Offering their thanks to Wakan Tanka every day, grateful hearts each day.
CHORUS
VERSE 3
Then one day a new kind came from a far-off place.
Some of them lived and learned about the Indian ways, respected Indian ways.
A different breed followed sought only wealth and gain.
Stripped the hides off our backs the rest left to decay, blind to what remained.
We were killed to force the Lakotas from their ways.
We numbered in the millions just a few hundred saved, we’re coming back someday.
CHORUS
OUTRO:
We are the Buffalo Nation, once ruled the vast Plains.
We’re spirits from the past we’ll roam again someday.