Little Snakes

Oh what a typical story Contested site, the Americas With treaties broken, the same sad token Torn and repaired it with paraffin Disembodied heads Disembowel the earth A monument of our arrogance A monolith of our bloated bunk, self-worth Disembodied heads Disembowel the earth We marred the land with our leaders Eight eyes to watch “little snakes” Regal expressions for Native repression At rest frozen on their faces We can make an exception And they can make some concessions Because there’s gold in the Black Hills Armed to the teeth We can make an example of every one of these savages Because the rights they have we gave to them And we can take them away without giving a damn Ain't that exactly how it is And that’s exactly what they did Oh, you don’t think it’s right But that’s exactly what they did What an impressive display Of complete dissolution Two fucking faces owned slaves One supplied the largest Aboriginal execution Once somebody said I don’t believe “the only good Indians are dead... But I believe [that] nine out of ten are...”* And so they took his head And carved his eyes into the Native mountainside We can make an exception And they can make some concessions Because there’s gold in the Black Hills Armed to the teeth We can make an example of every one of these savages Because the rights they have we gave to them And we can take them away without giving a damn Oh yes, the rights they have we gave to them And we can take 'em, take 'em, take 'em, take 'em away Forgotten in the shadows cast by celebrated busts Lies the site depicting history’s ignoble blood lust There might be flowers in the windows, but only ashes in the streets Impoverished and broken sings the songs of their defeat But it’s your vacation, your holiday It’s a reminder every story gets sculpted and decayed It’s your vacation, your holiday You may feel cheated by its modesty Pack the car and drive away It’s your vacation, your holiday It’s your vacation, your holiday It’s your vacation, your holiday It’s your vacation, your holiday About face Enjoy the ride There’s a different version of history carved in the mountain side Your mind’s made up Your hands are tied But colonialism by all definitions is the father of the genocide