Gun-metal Eyes

his mama was a cherokee princess, or so it was said
and his daddy was a seminole rebel with a price on his head
and the other kids teased him but i never did see him to cry
man there was some kind of righteous in the steel of his gun-metal eyes

run with the wolf, fly like the dove
mother below, father above
weep with the earth, sing to the sky
in the steel of your gun-metal eyes

well he grew up in the washes and the rushes and the rain and the wind
and the creatures of the forest and field were his only real friends
and the lily of the valley and the nettle of the plains taught him well
and the new moon shone on him as he wandered through the gully and the dell

run with the wolf, fly like the dove
mother below, father above
weep with the earth, sing to the sky
in the steel of your gun-metal eyes

it was one misty morning when he heard the big bulldozers groan
and the chainsaws and the fellin' of trees and the breakin' of stone
and the boss-man knew better, but he had an empire to raise
and one lone man before him with a rifle and doom on his face

run with the wolf, fly like the dove
mother below, father above
weep with the earth, sing to the sky
in the steel of your gun-metal eyes

get on home, cried the owner, cause i hold the deed to this land
and i ain't got no time to be foolin' with no wild injun man
and he gathered his strong boys around him and he called his police
but there was no lookin' back for the son of a seminole chief

run with the wolf, fly like the dove
mother below, father above
weep with the earth, sing to the sky
in the steel of your gun-metal eyes

now some say he died in the fightin' and was buried that day
and some say he raged like an angel and he chased 'em away
but the green hills stand silent, and nobody goes there no more
just the ghosts and the memories and the shadows of a dark forest floor

run with the wolf, fly like the dove
mother below, father above
weep with the earth, sing to the sky
in the steel of your gun-metal eyes
in the steel of your gun-metal eyes