Chaska

In the back of the heart of blue earth county
Many many years ago
I stood in the cold next to my mother
And 38 men blindfolded
As the natives took their place, singing their death song
The prison chaplain called their names
But he got one of their names wrong

I've been
Fighting
With this notion that the world does
A good man well
I see it all around me
A man does hateful things
And he still walking around, you see
While the good one's gone

Some say that there was no mistake
Some say they wanted that man to be hung
For falling in love with a white woman
And caring for her infant son
When he was first captured, she cried—
"Don't take him, you don't know!"
If never healed, my bones will be bleachin' on the prairie
My children, with little crow

I've been
Fighting
With this notion that the world does
A good man well
I see it all around me
A man does hateful things
And he still walking around, you see
While the good one's gone

As the moment came
And the ropes all placed
And the drums they quieted the crowd
The men wailed and danced on a trap door gallows
And yelled each other's names so loud
And when they heard their name they yelled—
"I'm here, I'm here!"
And they yelled out their fellow men's name
For the heavens to hear

And the clergyman spoke on
About Christ and how he died
And the axe was lifted high

I've been
Fighting
With this notion that the world does
A good man well
I see it all around me
A man does hateful things
And he still walking around, you see
While the good one's gone