Guns and Horses
Guns and Horses: Manifest Destiny's Legacy
Lyrics
Destiny or call it fate
Referring to the predetermined course of events or fate.
Maybe it was just plain old greed
Suggesting that greed might have motivated actions.
Took our army and headed West
Describing an army moving towards the western territory.
Gunnin' down buffalo to watch them bleed
Depicting the ruthless hunting and killing of buffalo.
Tried to make the world white
An attempt to impose a white (European) way of life.
Nothing we can do now to make that right
Acceptance of an irreversible past action.
Guns and horses headed west
Weapons and horses moving towards the west.
In the name of Jesus Christ
Reference to actions justified in the name of Christianity.
On the plains there's a smell of death
Noting the scent of death in the plains.
River runs through these battle lines
Describing a river as a boundary in the conflict.
Custer gave it all that night
Recognition of Custer's significant effort during a battle.
Sitting Bull and Crazy horse
Namedropping historical Native American leaders.
Trying to make one last stand
Attempting a final resistance against a stronger opposition.
Battled hard against a better force
Highlighting the disparity in forces during battle.
Won the war and lost their land
Expressing the irony of winning a battle but losing territory.
They put up one hell of a fight
Recognizing the valiant fight put up against odds.
Ain' t nothing they could do then to make it right
Resignation to the impossibility of rectifying the past.
Guns and horses headed west
Similar to line 9, emphasizing movement westward with weapons and horses.
Showdown at Big Sky
Depicting a significant confrontation at Big Sky.
On the plains there's a smell of death
Reiteration of death's presence in the plains.
River runs through these battle lines
Reemphasizing a river's role in dividing sides during battle.
Thanks to Custer they survived
Attributing survival to Custer's actions.
The wars we wage are never ending
Stating the perpetual nature of ongoing conflicts and wars.
Little Big Horn was just the beginning
Implying that the Little Big Horn battle was the start of a sequence of conflicts.
Guns and horses headed west
Reiteration of weaponry and horses moving westward.
Showdown at Big Sky
Restating the significant confrontation at Big Sky.
On the plains there's a smell of death
Recalling the scent of death in the plains.
In the name of Jesus Christ
Linking actions to religious justification again.
Custer went down in an epic fight
Acknowledging Custer's demise in a memorable battle.
But we lost more than him that night
Highlighting the broader losses beyond Custer's fall.
Comment