From the Indian reservation to the governmental school Well they're goin' to educate me to the white men's Golden Rule And I'm learning very quickly for I've learned to be ashamed And I come when they call Billy though I've got an Indian name And there are drums beyond the mountain Indian drums that you can't hear There are drums beyond the mountain and they're getting mighty near
And when they think that they'd changed me cut my hair to meet their needs Will they think I'm white or Indian quarter blood or just half breed Let me tell you Mr teacher when you say you'll make me right In five hundred years of fighting not one Indian turned white And there are drums...
Well you thought that I knew nothing when you brought me here to school Just another empty Indian just America's first fool But now I can tell you stories that are burnt and dried and old But in the shadow of their telling walks the thunder proud and bold And there are drums...
Long Pine and Sequoia Handsome Lake and Sitting Bull There's Magnus Colorado with his sleeves so red and full Crazy Horse the legend those who bit off Custer's soul They are dead yet they are living with the great Geronimo And there are drums...
Well you may teach me this land's hist'ry but we taught it to you first We broke your hearts and bent your journeys broken treaties left us cursed Even now you have to cheat us even though you this us tame In our losing we found proudness in your winning you found shame And there are drums...
