Click The song title below to see the lyrics.
well you sit around and watch T.V.
making American history
but before Colombus you couldn't lay back
you needed clothes on your body and meat on the rack
you needed clothes on your body and meat on the rack
rack,rack,rack you couldn't lay back
now your clothes and meat were running around
I mean animals, they wouldn't lay down
so you needed weapons which you had to make
and you'd be amazed at the skill it would take
to make a sharp point out of a stone
before the science of metals was known
so you'd look around you might even trade
for the rock from which good points were made
ROCK KNOCKING-flint knapping-ROCK KNOCKING-stone tapping
ROCK KNOCKING-really happened-ROCK KNOCKING-long ago
now for a hammerstone you want a rock that's round
about as big as your palm weighing half a pound
then hit some flint or obsidian
those kinds of rock chip even
then take an antler from a deer
to finish the point for your arrow or spear
I'd do it now but I know what would happen
someone would suffer from my flint knapping
I'd wack a rock and a chip might fly
eight rows back into and open eye
eye,eye,eye
iieeeeeeeeee
yes if a chip comes in your direction
you'll wish you had eye protection
so if this is something you want to try
wear protection for your eyes
ROCK KNOCKING-flint knapping-ROCK KNOCKING-stone tapping
ROCK KNOCKING-really happened-ROCK KNOCKING-long ago
Trapping turkeys, turkeys to eat
put your trap were you see tracks from their feet
find the right spot clear a space on the ground
then put a rope on a sapling and then bend it down
trigger the rope to a stick with corn bait
then let the slip noose decide the hungry turkeys fate
Trapping turkeys, turkeys to eat
put your trap were you see tracks from their feet
he's a bobbing and a weaving, a strutting and a pecking
a trotting on the ground turkey
a listening a gobbling a scratching and a rustling
on through the brush turkey
looking at specks,pumping his neck
eating insects turkey
better learn it's habits if you want to trap it
yeah we're talking
Trapping turkeys, turkeys to eat
put your trap were you see tracks from their feet
find the right spot make a hole in the ground
and then you lay your snare right where he'll put his foot down
cover your hole up so he'll never see your snare there
and you just might catch his foot unaware
Trapping turkeys, turkeys to eat
put your trap were you see tracks from their feet
many shapes and sizes not one the same
but every wigiwam has a young tree frame
you cut off all the branches as you cut the young tree down
in the pattern of a circle stick those trees in the ground
Momma's working hard but she's feeling good
there's gonna be a new wigwam of bark ,grass and wood
for her family grandkids to grandmother
if it's not big enough, they'll just build another
you bend the saplings over till they overlap just right
then with strips of cedar bark you tie each overlap tight
go out into the marsh and pull up some cattail leaves
which you can tie onto the frame as grass mats you have weaved
Momma's working hard but she's feeling good
there's gonna be a new wigwam of bark ,grass and wood
for her family grandkids to grandmother
if it's not big enough, they'll just build another
from the bottom up you put bark pieces on the frame
inside out, right on the grass mats they'll keep out the rain
but if the wind blows hard it might blow the bark away
so against the outside of the wigwam heavy logs you lay
in the center of the roof there's a square hole for the smoke
so you can sit by the fire and it won't make you choke
and to keep the wind and rain from blowing down the hole
you put a square of bark on a moveable pole
Momma's working hard but she's feeling good
there's a new wigwam in the neighborhood
and if this new site runs out of food or cover
she'll just pack her wigwam up and move it to another,
The New, New, World, World
Wasn’t really new
There were people living here
Before 1492
People raising children
People playing games
Living in different tribes
With lots of different names
Speaking different languages
And singing different songs
Doing just fine
Before Columbus came along
Queen Isabella wanted some gold and tea
She knew that stuff was in the Indies
Columbus said "I can get there it’s right across the sea
I just need ships" the queen gave him three
Chorus
Columbus met some people
He called them Indios
They called themselves Taino
Columbus was confused and that’s because
Christopher Columbus didn’t know where he was
Chorus
when you're living with your group
and you feel like having soup
you have a bark pot made by hand
no metal pots no metal pans
you can't put a bark pot on a fire
so how you gonna get the soup's temperature higher ?
HOT ROCKS HOT ROCKS
you get your fire burning hot
throw in the best rocks that you've got
when they glow red through and through
carefully put them in your stu
COOKING WITH HOT ROCKS USE THEM WHEN THEY GLOW RED HOT
COOKING WITH HOT ROCKS PUT' EM IN THE POT
line a ground hole with a skin
stake it down put some water in
throw in some fresh greens or shellfish
but how will you boil your tasty dish
you can't put a skin pot on a fire
so how you gonna get the waters temperature higher ?
HOT ROCKS HOT ROCKS
now use the same rock again and again
it's bound to be cracked and then broken
throw it away with more of it's kind
someday it will be a historical find
COOKING WITH HOT ROCKS USE THEM WHEN THEY GLOW RED HOT
COOKING WITH HOT ROCKS PUT' EM IN THE POT
The Native Americans first on this land
lived so close to nature they had to understand
how to hunt for their food, use the skin for their clothes
and when they needed tools they’d shape the bones.
Whoa- oh hey ho, Whoa- oh hey ho
They’d use what they would need, they’d not leave much to waste
they’d hunt, gather and grow to sustain their race
They’d do things most people now can’t do
Like track an animal down or imitate one, too.
Whoa- oh hey ho, Whoa- oh hey ho
(kids whisper “heel- toe” in rythym while Billy sings)
Moving swiftly on the hunted’s tracks
he’s careful not a twig does crack
He freezes, when he sees it,
he has found his prey.
Whoa- oh hey ho, Whoa- oh hey ho
The Native Americans first on this land
lived so close to nature they had to understand
how to hunt for their food, use the skin for their clothes and when they needed tools they’d shape the bones
Whoa- oh hey ho, Whoa- oh hey ho