Lyr Add: Steals of the White Man

Subject: Lyr Add: STEALS OF THE WHITE MAN^^
From: Neil Lowe
Date: 09 Dec 99 - 07:35 PM

This song is sung a capella (by John McCutcheon?)on John McCutcheon and Friends' "How Can I Keep From Singing" JA003 on June Appal Recordings 1982, Box 743 Whitesburg, KY 41858. I don't know to whom to attribute the lyrics.

Steals Of The White Man

Alas, said an Indian,
I oncet had a home,
In a fair forest glade,
Where the wild deer did roam,
Where the sacalait feast,
On a festival day,
But the steals of a White Man,
Have took them away.

I oncet had a mother,
The pride of my youth,
And a father who taught me,
The practice of truth.
Now their spirits have left them,
So cold as the clay,
And the steals of the White Man,
Have took them away.

I oncet had a brother,
The pride of the vale,
And a sister whose cheeks,
They were ruddy and pale,
And I'd often join them,
In innocent play,
But the steals of a White Man,
Have took them away.

And now I'm alone,
The last of my race,
And I know in this world,
That I have no place,
My friends and relation,
Have all passed away,
For the steals of a White Man,
Have took them away.

And now I must follow,
The Great Spirit calls,
To the land of the Blessed,
Where the brave never falls,
To that blissful green shore,
And the cool forest glade,
Where the steals of a White Man,
Shall never invade.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Steals Of The White Man
From: bunkerhill
Date: 09 Dec 99 - 08:47 PM

Neil: That's McCutcheon singing for sure, but I can't put my hand on liner notes for that tape. May be something on McCutcheon's website, or use e-mail link there: http://www.folkmusic.com/f_music.htm appalshop is at http://www.appalshop.org/ and I'm pretty sure at least one of the "and friends" is still on staff there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Steals Of The White Man
From: Neil Lowe
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 09:19 AM

Markf....thank you very much for the information. From McCutcheon's website at the URL you posted, I did a search for "Steals of The White Man." The reply to the first post of the first document yielded background information on the song, stating that J. Barre Tolkein of the University of Oregon collected the song from an Indian in Nebraska named "Yellowtail."

Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction.

Regards, Neil

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Steals of the White Man
From: GUEST,A. Dillard
Date: 07 Mar 14 - 10:21 AM

This was an old song that was sang to my father from his mother who was a choctaw Indian. She said that it was originally a Cherokee song.