Painted Faces
Resilience in Red Dirt: Painted Faces, a Saga of Love and Defiance
Lyrics
Pushin' these tracks through that red Oklahoma dirt
Expressing the struggle of pushing through life in Oklahoma.
Made it five miles just last week and its constant work
Highlighting the constant effort needed, covering a short distance recently.
The horizon is stretching away from me
Feeling a vast distance lies ahead, possibly metaphorical challenges.
Says the ending is close but I don't believe
Skeptical about an imminent end, possibly of hardships or life itself.
Got a woman, five kids, that's six mouths to feed
Juggling responsibilities for a family of six, emphasizing the struggle.
Been so long that I hope they remember me
Fears being forgotten due to prolonged absence from family.
Is the money I'm sending worth years I've lost?
Raising questions about the worthiness of sacrifices for financial support.
Is the progress we're making even worth the cost?
Doubting the value of progress if it comes at a high personal cost.
Then one night like a tidal wave on the sea
Describing a sudden, overwhelming event, possibly a conflict.
Painted Faces on horseback cut through the trees
Depicting a threatening presence represented by painted faces on horseback.
No use begging for life on a bended knee
Rejecting the idea of begging for mercy in a dire situation.
Gotta make it back home to my family
Emphasizing the urgency to return home despite the danger.
Crimson red fills my eyes, yeah, that's all I see
Symbolizing intense emotions, possibly anger or fear.
Brothers, Sisters, all dying, surrounding me
Witnessing the loss of family members in a tragic context.
One, one, one, out my six-shooter, that makes three
Referring to using a six-shooter and the toll it takes.
Out my barrel the last thing they'll ever see
Describing a violent confrontation with fatal consequences.
Pale ghosts march their way west 'cross the plains
Describing the movement of an unwanted presence (pale ghosts).
To poison our homeland with their greedy stain
Accusing settlers of contaminating and exploiting the land.
They've taken so much but it's still not enough
Expressing the insatiable nature of those who harm the land.
I'll fight them all off while I've breath in my lungs
Committing to resisting invaders as long as there is breath.
My brother, my mother, my father, my culture
List of losses, attributing them to the actions of the cavalry.
All slain by the cavalryman's hand
Explicitly blaming the cavalry for the deaths of family members.
The rivers, the forests, the earth, and the spirits
Pointing out the environmental and spiritual damage caused by settlers.
Stripped bare by settler's demand
Describing the land as being stripped due to settler demands.
They call me a savage, an Indian, red man
Addressing derogatory labels placed on the speaker based on ethnicity.
But they never call me by name
Expressing a lack of personal recognition or acknowledgment.
Greedy hands grasping with ravenous eyes
Describing settlers' greed and their impact on the speaker's life.
But my spirit you never shall tame
Asserting an unyielding spirit despite external pressures.
I may die tomorrow but you'll die today
Defiantly stating that the speaker will endure, contrasting with settlers.
I'll be damned if I let one more settler stay
Expressing a strong resolve to resist further settler presence.
I've given my tears, now I'll give you my blood
Offering personal sacrifices, including blood, to protect what is loved.
To stop you from taking the last thing that I love
Declaring the willingness to fight against the threat to the speaker's love.
That I love
Reiteration of the strong emotional connection to a loved one.
That I love
Repeating the declaration of deep affection for the significant other.
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