Black Elk Speaks by The Littlest Birds Lyrics
My friends, I’ll tell you the story
Of my life, if you wish
But, if it were only the story of my life
I think I would not tell it
For, what is one man
To make much of his winters?
So many other men have lived
To become greats on the hill
If the vision was true and mighty
As I know it is true and mighty
Such things are of the spirit
And it is in the darkness they rise
But men forget
So, I know it is a good thing
But no good can be done alone
I must first send a voice
To the spirits of the world
With visible breath, I’m walking
Voice I am sending as I walk
In a sacred manner I am walking
In a sacred manner I walk
I was born in Lakota
In the moon of the Poppin’ Trees
I was named for my father black
Like it was 1863
And the summer I was nine
I had a great vision
The meaning of which no words
Could I ever tell to you
But the six Grandfathers
Gave me the power
Gave me the knowledge
To heal and to help
With visible breath, I’m walking
Voice I am sending as I walk
In a sacred manner I am walking
In a sacred manner I walk
I was at the Little Bighorn
And I was at Wounded Knee
I did not know how much
It ended, but I can see
A bunch of men, women, and children
Lying scattered in heaps
They were the only death that day
There died people’s dreams
So, hear me, great spirit
Hear me, Grandfathers
With running tears, I must tell to you
That your tree has not flowered
Hear me for my people
They may have returned
And living within the sacred hope
That the sacred tree may have bloomed
And the sorrow
I am sending
These people voice that I can hear
Oh, six powers of the world
Won’t you make my people free?
Oh, six powers of the world
Won’t you make my people free?
Of my life, if you wish
But, if it were only the story of my life
I think I would not tell it
For, what is one man
To make much of his winters?
So many other men have lived
To become greats on the hill
If the vision was true and mighty
As I know it is true and mighty
Such things are of the spirit
And it is in the darkness they rise
But men forget
So, I know it is a good thing
But no good can be done alone
I must first send a voice
To the spirits of the world
With visible breath, I’m walking
Voice I am sending as I walk
In a sacred manner I am walking
In a sacred manner I walk
I was born in Lakota
In the moon of the Poppin’ Trees
I was named for my father black
Like it was 1863
And the summer I was nine
I had a great vision
The meaning of which no words
Could I ever tell to you
But the six Grandfathers
Gave me the power
Gave me the knowledge
To heal and to help
With visible breath, I’m walking
Voice I am sending as I walk
In a sacred manner I am walking
In a sacred manner I walk
I was at the Little Bighorn
And I was at Wounded Knee
I did not know how much
It ended, but I can see
A bunch of men, women, and children
Lying scattered in heaps
They were the only death that day
There died people’s dreams
So, hear me, great spirit
Hear me, Grandfathers
With running tears, I must tell to you
That your tree has not flowered
Hear me for my people
They may have returned
And living within the sacred hope
That the sacred tree may have bloomed
And the sorrow
I am sending
These people voice that I can hear
Oh, six powers of the world
Won’t you make my people free?
Oh, six powers of the world
Won’t you make my people free?