Song Of The Nez Perce

Song Of The Nez Perce
Lenny Anderson

Dm Dm7 Dm Dm7

Chorus
DmSoar Like The Eagl E,  CDive Like The Hawk
CListen To The Drums Of The Nez Perce People
DmListen To The MountaiDm7ns TDmalkDm7.

Verse
DmIn The High Wallowa Valley, TChe Nez Perce People DmLived
DmThey Took The Game, The Fish And Roots, The CThings That NatureDm Gives
And They MoFved AmWith TheDm Seasons, FFor AmA MillenDmia Or More.
And They FoFught When They Had CTo Fight,
For They Knew The Way ODmf War

DmThen The White Men Came, Lewis And Clark, And CThe MissionariDmes Too.
DmFollowed By Hungry Miners, AnCd Scoundrels Selling DmBooze.
And The TroubFles,Am They WereDm Bound To ComFe, AAms They HDmad Come Before.
But ThFe Nez Perce Said They’d CNever Shed
The White Man’s Blood In DmWar.

DmSettlers Come From Over The Hill, For CA Place To Call TheiDmr Own
DmPassing The Poles Old Joseph Left To Mark The CBorders Of HisDm Homeland
And The TreaFty RAmights Of TDmhe Nez Perce,F TheAm Simply DmDid Ignore,
YFoung Joseph Said, CWe Want Peace Not War.

DmFor 10 Long Years, The Settlers Came, CDespite The Nez Perce DmPleas,
DmThey Came And Went, And They Grazed ThCeir Stock, Just Where And When They PDmleased.
UnFtil AmA Young WarrioDmr Was Shot Down, TFhey AmSaid He DmStole A Horse.
YoFung Joseph CalmCed His Men,
 Saying "We Don’t Want WDmar”

DmThough They Never Signed That Treaty, CThat Robbed Them Of Their DmLands.
DmThe Army Come And It Ordered Them, TheCir Camps There To DDmisband
AnFd WiAmth SprinDmgs Rising Rivers, FTheyAm Had 30 DmDays, No More
BuFt Jospeh Said They WouldC Comply, ‘Cause They Did Not WDmant War.

Chorus
DmSoar Like The Eagl E,  DCive Like The Hawk
CListen To The Drums Of The Nez Perce People
DListen To The Mountains Dm7TalkDm.  Dm7​

Verse
DmYoung Warriors Rode, In The Night, AngCry With The White Man’sDm Greed.
DmIn The Salmon River Settlements, They CLeft Some Whites To BleeDmd.
And NFow TAmhere Was NDmo Turning Back,F TheAmy’d PassDmed Through A One Way Door.
AnFd With The Army In PursuCit, The Nez Perce Geared ForDm War.

DmAt White Bird And Clear Water, They TuCrned Back The Calvary ChDmarge.
DmAnd Other Bands Joined The  Fight, TheC Rebeliion Did EnDmlarge
And In ArmFed RAmetreat TDmhrough Lolo Pass, To ThFe BiAmtter RooDmt Vallely Floor
FoFr Their Women And Their CChildren, The Nez Perce Fought ThiDms War.

DmIn The Early Dawn At Big Hole, SoldierCs Surprised Them In Their SDmleep.
DmThey Fought Back In Desperation, But Now TChey Had More Cause To WDmeep.
For MFany AmBraves WereDm Lost That Day, And ThFe Nez PerAmce Hearts DmWere Sore.
FoFr They Won The Fight, But CResumed Their Flight,  ‘Cause The Could Not Win TDmhis War

DmSo On They Fled To Yellowstone, The CoCuntry Of The CDmrow.
DmA People Who Had Once Been Friends NowC Scouted For Their DmFoes
Then NoFrth AmAcross MDmontana, TowarFd CaAmnada’s PDmeaceful Shore
FoFr Only In That Northern CLand, Could They Escape ThisDm War

DmThey Were One Days Ride From Safety, ICn The Great Queen Mother’s DmLand.
DmAt Lonely Bear’s Paw Mountain, They MaCde Their Final SDmtand.
They Were CauFght AmIn ClosiDmng Jaw,  OFf ArAmmies Of DmA Hundred Score
AnFd Joseph Said, Holding HCigh His Head.
We Will Fight Not MoDmre,  Forever.

Chorus
DmSoar Like The Eagl E,  CDive Like The Hawk
CListen To The Drums Of The Nez Perce People
DListen To The Mountains Dm7TalkDm.  Dm7​

Verse
DmNow Promises Were Made That Day, A HunCdred Years DmAgo
DmThat The Nez Perce Could Return Again To TCheir Lands In DmIdaho
But StiFll They LAmanguish DmExiles, AnFd Still TheiAmr HeartsDm Are Sore.
ViFctims Of OurC Forefathers   GenocidaDml War

Chorus
DmSoar Like The Eagl E,  CDive Like The Hawk
CListen To The Drums Of The Nez Perce People
DListen To The Mountains TalkDm   Dm7    Dm   Dm7    Dm​
SDmoar Like The Eagl E,  CDive Like The Hawk
CListen To The Drums Of The Nez Perce People
DListen To The Mountains TaDmlk.Dm7​

Dm Dm7 Dm Dm7