Land of the Navajo

Lyrics:

• Chorus
• Oh, the wind blows cold
• On the trail of the buffalo
• Oh, the wind blows cold
• In the land of the Navajo
• In the land of the Navajo


• A hundred miles from nowhere out on the desert sand
• One-eyed Jack, the trader, held some torquoise in his hand
• By his side sat Running Elk, his long-time Indian friend
• He vowed that he would stay by Jack until the bitter end


• Jack had gambled everything he owned to lead this wandering life
• He might have had a happy home and a tender loving wife
• But his hunger was for trading trapper's furs for torquoise stone
• Anything that the Indians had, Jack wanted for his own


• [chorus]


• Said Jack to Running Elk, I'll gamble all my precious stones
• Before I leave my body here among these bleaching bones
• But now my time is drawing near and I'm filled with dark regret
• My spirit longs to journey as the sun begins to set


• For we raped and killed, we stole your land, we ruled with guns and knives
• Fed whiskey to your warriors while we stole away your wives
• Said Running Elk, what's done is done, you white men rule this land
• So lay the cards face up and play your last broken-hearted hand


• [chorus]


• When you're dealing cards with death, the joker's wild, the ace is high
• Jack bid the Mississippi River, Running Elk raised him the sky
• Jack saw him with the sun and moon and upped him with the stars
• Running Elk bet the Rocky Mountains, Jupiter, and Mars


• The sun was sinking in the west when Jack drew the ace of spades
• Running Elk just rolled his eyes, he smiled and passed away
• Jack picked up his torquoise stones and cast them to the sky
• He stared into the setting sun and then made a mournful cry


• [chorus]
• In the land of the Navajo