Mike Heron – Savage Moon lyrics

"To the white man nature was a wilderness infested with wild animals and savage people.
To us it was tame, earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery".
Chief Luther Standing Bear

"We saw the Great Spirit's work in almost everything; sun, moon, trees, wind and mountains.
Sometimes we approached him through those things. Was that so bad"?
Walking Buffalo

"The Sioux knew that man's heart away from nature becomes hard; he knew that lack of respect for growing things soon led to lack of respect for humans too".
Chief Luther Standing Bear


>From pastures of plenty, sailin' in with the gold
"Free land for the taking" they said
And they told of the primitive red man.

Chorus:
"Naked in the river he stands
His arms stretched out to the sky
He's worshipping the spirits of the land
And his song to the moon
Is the savage wolf-cry
Great moon, hawk moon
Hoop moon, hawk moon
Hawk moon -stretch out your wings
In a hoop - circle of the people

These people feel kinship with the birds of the air.
With the trees, with the winds that blow,
In fact, they see kinship everywhere.

Chorus:

"Sir it pains me to tell you that you hoped too
Much for this land.
Wild barbarous country it is.
And it's alive with the beasts and the red am".
Chorus: