November Wind
Bill Mallonee Lyrics

Good fortune cut cleared out long ago
The time of abundance and prosperity has long ceased to exist in our lives.

Left us only here with the curse
We are left only with an ominous fate and a seemingly inevitable downfall.

Hard luck it moved in a stone's throw away
Misfortune arrived in close proximity, and quickly presented itself in our lives.

And then things went from bad to worse
Afterward, our situation deteriorated even further, and our prospects seemed utterly hopeless.

The November wind is at it again
The bitter seasonal wind serves as a reminder of our bleak, trying circumstances.

Sharp relief is less than a few crumbs
The possibility of a positive resolution seems scant and fleeting in light of our current circumstances.

And the November wind is at it again
The unpleasant and foreboding weather persists, amplifying our sense of distress and unease.

It's blowing through the scarecrow you've become
The desolation and emptiness we experience is palpable, leaving us feeling as though we are mere shells of our former selves.

My dear father and those other fathers before
Our ancestors have passed on from this land, having worked and toiled to create a better life for their future descendants.

Who bought this land from the Indians
They acquired this land through purchasing it from prior inhabitants, taking part in the centuries of conquest and displacement that characterize our nation's history.

The family well it spread out like an oak tree's branches
Our family was once large and thriving, much like the sprawling branches of a mighty oak tree.

Till the banker man took advantage of those years when the fields went bare
A figure of authority and wealth, the banker exploited a period of hardship and scarcity to gain financial advantage over our ancestors.

Well if it all ends in judgment and it all ends in fire
If our existence culminates in divine judgement and oblivion, as some belief systems propose, then what is the point of all our earthly struggles?

Why does the rich man get richer and the poor they learn to lie
It seems unjust that the most prosperous individuals are continually accruing wealth at the expense of struggling individuals, who resort to deception and dishonesty to make ends meet.

First to themselves then to everybody else
Individuals must ultimately deceive themselves before they can deceive others, fully succumbing to the corrosive effects of dishonesty.

You're way less than you were but you're still more than they are
Despite our current state of great depletion and loss, we are still inherently better and more valuable than those who would willingly take advantage of others for their own benefit.