THE TALKING LEAVES
Writer: Johnny Cash
Album: Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian

-------------------------------------------------------
This song is spoken. The backing music is
         done in the key of A.
-------------------------------------------------------

Sequoia's winters were sixteen silent tongue spirit clean
He walked at his father's side
Across the smoking battleground where red and white men lay all around
So many here had died

The wind had scattered around snow-white leaves upon the ground
Not leaves like leaves from trees
Sequoia said "What can this be? What's this strange thing here I see?
From where come leaves like these?"

Sequoia turned to his father's eyes and he said "Father you are wise
From where come such snow-white leaves?
With such strange marks upon these squares not even the wise owl could put them there.
So strange these snow-white leaves."

His father shielding his concern resenting the knowledge Sequoia yearned
Crumbled the snow-white leaves
He said "When I explain then it's done. These are talking leaves my son;
The white man's talking leaves.

"The white man takes a berry of black and red and an eagle's feather from the eaglett's bed
And he makes bird track marks
And the marks on the leaves they say carry messages to his brother far away
And his brother knows what's in his heart.

"They see these marks and they understand the truth and the heart of the far-off man.
The enemies can't hear them."
Said Sequoia's father "Son they weave bad medicine on these talking leaves.
Leave such things to them."

Then Sequoia walking lightly followed his father quietly
But so amazed was he
If the white man talks on leaves 
Why not the Cherokee

Banished from his father's face Sequoia went from place to place
But he could not forget
Year after year he worked on and on
Til finally he cut into stone the Cherokee alphabet

Sequoia's hair by know was white his eyes begin to lose their light
But he taught all who would believe
That the Indian's thoughts could be written down just as the white man's there on the ground
And he left us these talking leaves