Johnny Cash - As Long As the Grass Shall Grow video free download


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Duration: 06:13
Uploaded: 2008/05/15

from Cash's "Bitter Tears" album

As long as the moon shall rise

As long as long as the rivers flow

As long as the sun will shine

As long as the grass shall grow

The Senecas are an Indian tribe of the Iroquois nation

Down on the New York Pennsylvania Line you'll find their reservation

After the US revolution Cornplanter was a chief

He told the tribe these men they could trust that was his true belief

He went down to Independence Hall and there was a treaty signed

That promised peace with the USA and Indian rights combined

George Washington gave his signature the Government gave its hand

They said that now and forever more that this was Indian land

As long as the moon shall rise...

On the Seneca reservation there is much sadness now

Washington's treaty has been broken and there is no hope no how

Across the Allegheny River they're throwing up a dam

It will flood the Indian country a proud day for Uncle Sam

It has broke the ancient treaty with a politician's grin

It will drown the Indians graveyards Cornplanter can you swim

The earth is mother to the the Senecas they're trampling sacred ground

Change the mint green earth to black mud flats as honor hobbles down

As long as the moon shall rise...

The Iroquois Indians used to rule from Canada way south

But no one fears the Indians now and smiles the liar's mouth

The Senecas hired an expert to figure another site

But the great good army engineers said that he had no right

Although he showed them another plan and showed them another way

They laughed in his face and said no deal Kinuza dam is here to stay

Congress turned the Indians down brushed off the Indians plea

So the Senecas have renamed the dam they call it Lake Perfidy

As long as the moon shall rise...

Washington Adams and Kennedy now hear their pledges ring

The treaties are safe we'll keep our word but what is that gurgling

It's the back water from Perfidy Lake it's rising all the time

Over the homes and over the fields and over the promises fine

No boats will sail on Lake Perfidy in winter it will fill

In summer it will be a swamp and all the fish will kill

But the Government of the USA has corrected George's vow

The father of our country must be wrong what's an Indian anyhow

As long as the moon shall rise (look up)

As long as the rivers flow (are you thirsty)

As long as the sun will shine (my brother are you warm)

As long as the grass shall grow

lyrics written by Peter LaFarge

(son of Oliver LaFarge, familiar to us now for "Laughing Boy")

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_La_Farge

...I could keep adding link after link for background & references, but here's an example of tech being a wonderful thing: you can too :)

Comments

8 years ago

Addison Gee

Well I sat down to write a song about this, and I think I still will, but cash already did it better than I ever could

9 years ago

Geoff Crotty

Free Hawaii

9 years ago

Victoria Kelly

Johnny Cash Native America mix:Overheard at a grocery store by someone waiting in line behind a woman speaking on her cellphone in another language . After the woman hangs up, he speaks up. Man: I didn't want to say anything while you were on the phone, but you're in America now. you need to speak English.woman: excuse me?Man: very slow if you want to speak Mexican then go back to Mexico. In America we speak English.Woman: Sir, I was speaking Navajo. If you want to speak English, go back to England.

9 years ago

Victoria Kelly

Johnny Cash some songs banned

9 years ago

Minlinks1

What a great song. Sad. truth is truth. And yes, it's only the surface...like everywhere.

9 years ago

Pete Soderberg

song of truth about kinzua dam and how our government screwed over the seneca indians

9 years ago

grant marshall

My Native American friend, I'm an Irish man and the man that sings for us is christy Moore. Peace be yours 

9 years ago

Julie Cook

thank god not all americans are totally ignorant, you do have a proud history of every color, please embace it x

9 years ago

Julie Cook

thank you jonny your country bans the truth and he always told it. rip you made mistakes and paid the price but your music and voice were priceless x missed x

9 years ago

TheMcfearless123

As an arab, this song always puts me in mind of PalestineMy brothers are you warm?

9 years ago

Julie Cook

what a sad but not surprising story, america rewrites its short history again!

9 years ago

eddie hoyler

I'm a decedent to handsome lake that's what my elders told me years ago

9 years ago

f bush

I grew up in Warren county over the mountain from Kinzua in Sheffield. My father was born in a house along the Kinzua Creek. I had relatives living in Kinzua that had to move and the cemetery was moved. We use to play in the Kinzua Creek when we visited family. We had a family reunion there. My great aunt would not go back to that area after they were booted out. Kinzua creek was the best trout stream in the state. The farm land was some of the richest.

10 years ago

steve gray

Truth is truth!

10 years ago

INDO -superb

i salute Johnny Cash of making this song for tribute to the natives of USA (Indians). The best American is J R Cash!

10 years ago

1bill57

oh bm benedict - better check state congressional and ACOE records before condemning anyone

10 years ago

William Vanderhoof

if you noticed the government banned this record and made him pull and changethe lyrics. there was so much truth to this song.

10 years ago

Irvin bennett

tHIS SONG ONLY SCRATCHES THE SURFACE OF THE GENICIDE.

10 years ago

Mitchell Gilbert

Growing up on the Seneca and learning their language has been a experience that I won't for get and as much as people want to leave you learn stuff that you won't forget here on the rez

10 years ago

daylightlover

When a young man, my friend and I had heard this song, and on our adventure from east to west we stopped at Lake Perfidy. Folk music tells the tales. Peter LaFarge. Thanks, r.

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