From the Indian
Reservation
To the governmental school
Well, they're going
To educate me
To the white men's
Golden rule
And I'm learning
Very quickly
For I've learned
To be ashamed
And I come
When they call Billy
Though I've got
An Indian name
And there are drums
Beyond the mountain
Indian drums
That you can't hear
There are drums
Beyond the mountain
And they're getting
Mighty near
And when they
Think that they'd changed me
Cut my hair
To meet their needs
Will they think
I'm white or Indian
Quarter blood
Or just half breed?
Let me tell you
Mister teacher
When you say
You'll make me right
In five hundred
Years of fighting
Not one Indian
Turned white
And there are drums
Beyond the mountain
Indian drums
That you can't hear
There are drums
Beyond the mountain
And they're getting
Mighty near
Well, you thought
That I knew nothing
When you brought
Me here to school
Just another
Empty Indian
Just America's
First fool
But now I
Can tell you stories
That are burnt
And dried and old
But in the shadow
Of their telling
Walks the thunder
Proud and bold
And there are drums
Beyond the mountains
Indian drums
That you can't hear
There are drums
Beyond the mountain
And they're getting
Mighty near
Long Pine
And Sequoia
Handsome Lake
And Sitting Bull
There's Mangus
Colorado
With his sleeves
So red and full
Crazy
Horse the legend
Those who bit off
Custer's soul
They are dead
Yet they are living
With the great
Geronimo
And there are drums
Beyond the mountains
Indian drums
That you can't hear
There are drums
Beyond the mountain
And they're getting
Mighty near
Well, you may teach me
This land's history
But we taught it
To you first
We broke your hearts
And bent your journeys
Broken treaties
Left us cursed
Even now
You have to cheat us
Even though
You think us tame
In our losing
We found proudness
In your winning
You found shame
And there are drums
Beyond the mountain
Indian drums
That you can't hear
There are drums
Beyond the mountain
And they're getting
Mighty near