The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #8731   Message #54669
Posted By: Felipa
18-Jan-99 - 07:49 AM
Thread Name: DT update; Now that the Buffalo's Gone
Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: NOW THAT THE BUFFALO'S GONE
There are some question marks in the transcription on the DT. The song is published in "Rise up Singing", so I answer the questions from that publication, being under the impression that it is the Mudcatter's bible (even though it doesn't give musical notation). See the bracketed comments.

NOW THAT THE BUFFALO'S GONE
(Buffy Sainte Marie)
C G
Can you remember the times
C
That you have held your head high?
F C
And told all your friends of your Indian friends [should be "of your Indian blood"]
G C
Proud good lady and proud good man,
F C
Your great great grandfather from Indian blood sprang
D D7 G G7
And you feel in your heart for these ones

Oh it's written in books and in song (plurals differ)
That we've been mistreated and wronged (?)[RUS agrees]
Well over and over I hear the same words
From you, good lady, and you, good man
Well listen to me if you care where we stand
And you feel you're a part of these ones

When a war between nations is lost
The loser, we know, pays the cost
But even when Germany fell to your hands [The DT could well be right; RUS says 'felt your hand']
Consider, dear lady, consider, dear man, [RUS says 'good lady, good man' - no big difference]
You left them their pride and you left them their land
And what have you done to these ones? ['FOR these ones']

Has a change come about Uncle Sam
Or are you still taking our lands?
The treaty forever George Washington signed ['A treaty...'}
He did, dear lady, he did, dear man,
And the treaty's been broken by ? ? ? ['by Kinzua Dam']
And what will you do to these ones?

Oh it's all in the past you might say ['might' = 'can'; again no big deal]
But it's still going on here today
The government now wants ??? land ['the Iroquois land]
That of the ?? and the Cheyenne ['the Seneca and the Cheyenne']
It's here and it's now you must help us dear men, ['dear man' - rhymes with Cheyenne!]
Now that the buffalo's gone.

copyright 1965 Gypsy Boy Music, Inc. RUS obtained permission both from the author and the publisher. The song is on several of Buffy St Marie's albums - "It's My Way", "Best of...", "Native N American Child", "I'm Gonna Be a Country Girl". Published in 'Sing Out' 19:3, "Great Folk Songs of the 60s", 2Children's Songs for a Friendly Planet", "Here's to the Women".

Can any Mudcatter fill us in with more detail on the Kinzua Dam dispute?