Song Of The Nez Perce

Song Of The Nez Perce
Lenny Anderson

Em Em7 Em Em7

Chorus
EmSoar Like The Eagl E,  DDive Like The Hawk
DListen To The Drums Of The Nez Perce People
EmListen To The MountaiEm7ns TEmalkEm7.

Verse
EmIn The High Wallowa Valley, TDhe Nez Perce People EmLived
EmThey Took The Game, The Fish And Roots, The DThings That NatureEm Gives
And They MoGved BmWith TheEm Seasons, GFor BmA MillenEmia Or More.
And They FoGught When They Had DTo Fight,
For They Knew The Way OEmf War

EmThen The White Men Came, Lewis And Clark, And DThe MissionariEmes Too.
EmFollowed By Hungry Miners, AnDd Scoundrels Selling EmBooze.
And The TroubGles,Bm They WereEm Bound To ComGe, ABms They HEmad Come Before.
But ThGe Nez Perce Said They’d DNever Shed
The White Man’s Blood In EmWar.

EmSettlers Come From Over The Hill, For DA Place To Call TheiEmr Own
EmPassing The Poles Old Joseph Left To Mark The DBorders Of HisEm Homeland
And The TreaGty RBmights Of TEmhe Nez Perce,G TheBm Simply EmDid Ignore,
YGoung Joseph Said, DWe Want Peace Not War.

EmFor 10 Long Years, The Settlers Came, DDespite The Nez Perce EmPleas,
EmThey Came And Went, And They Grazed ThDeir Stock, Just Where And When They PEmleased.
UnGtil BmA Young WarrioEmr Was Shot Down, TGhey BmSaid He EmStole A Horse.
YoGung Joseph CalmDed His Men,
 Saying "We Don’t Want WEmar”

EmThough They Never Signed That Treaty, DThat Robbed Them Of Their EmLands.
EmThe Army Come And It Ordered Them, TheDir Camps There To DEmisband
AnGd WiBmth SprinEmgs Rising Rivers, GTheyBm Had 30 EmDays, No More
BuGt Jospeh Said They WouldD Comply, ‘Cause They Did Not WEmant War.

Chorus
EmSoar Like The Eagl E,  DDive Like The Hawk
DListen To The Drums Of The Nez Perce People
EListen To The Mountains Em7TalkEm.  Em7​

Verse
EmYoung Warriors Rode, In The Night, AngDry With The White Man’sEm Greed.
EmIn The Salmon River Settlements, They DLeft Some Whites To BleeEmd.
And NGow TBmhere Was NEmo Turning Back,G TheBmy’d PassEmed Through A One Way Door.
AnGd With The Army In PursuDit, The Nez Perce Geared ForEm War.

EmAt White Bird And Clear Water, They TuDrned Back The Calvary ChEmarge.
EmAnd Other Bands Joined The  Fight, TheD Rebeliion Did EnEmlarge
And In ArmGed RBmetreat TEmhrough Lolo Pass, To ThGe BiBmtter RooEmt Vallely Floor
FoGr Their Women And Their DChildren, The Nez Perce Fought ThiEms War.

EmIn The Early Dawn At Big Hole, SoldierDs Surprised Them In Their SEmleep.
EmThey Fought Back In Desperation, But Now TDhey Had More Cause To WEmeep.
For MGany BmBraves WereEm Lost That Day, And ThGe Nez PerBmce Hearts EmWere Sore.
FoGr They Won The Fight, But DResumed Their Flight,  ‘Cause The Could Not Win TEmhis War

EmSo On They Fled To Yellowstone, The CoDuntry Of The CEmrow.
EmA People Who Had Once Been Friends NowD Scouted For Their EmFoes
Then NoGrth BmAcross MEmontana, TowarGd CaBmnada’s PEmeaceful Shore
FoGr Only In That Northern DLand, Could They Escape ThisEm War

EmThey Were One Days Ride From Safety, IDn The Great Queen Mother’s EmLand.
EmAt Lonely Bear’s Paw Mountain, They MaDde Their Final SEmtand.
They Were CauGght BmIn ClosiEmng Jaw,  OGf ArBmmies Of EmA Hundred Score
AnGd Joseph Said, Holding HDigh His Head.
We Will Fight Not MoEmre,  Forever.

Chorus
EmSoar Like The Eagl E,  DDive Like The Hawk
DListen To The Drums Of The Nez Perce People
EListen To The Mountains Em7TalkEm.  Em7​

Verse
EmNow Promises Were Made That Day, A HunDdred Years EmAgo
EmThat The Nez Perce Could Return Again To TDheir Lands In EmIdaho
But StiGll They LBmanguish EmExiles, AnGd Still TheiBmr HeartsEm Are Sore.
ViGctims Of OurD Forefathers   GenocidaEml War

Chorus
EmSoar Like The Eagl E,  DDive Like The Hawk
DListen To The Drums Of The Nez Perce People
EListen To The Mountains TalkEm   Em7    Em   Em7    Em​
SEmoar Like The Eagl E,  DDive Like The Hawk
DListen To The Drums Of The Nez Perce People
EListen To The Mountains TaEmlk.Em7​

Em Em7 Em Em7