Never Say Never
Tall Paul Lyrics

Never, never, never again
The events that unfolded should never be repeated or forgotten.

This story is bigger than Jim
The story being told holds more significance and impact than just one individual.

Bigger than him, never again
The magnitude of the story surpasses the influence of any single person, emphasizing the importance of preventing similar occurrences.

In 1875 A Kiowa Chief by
During the year 1875, there existed a Kiowa Chief named...

The name of Lone Wolf died
This Chief, known as Lone Wolf, passed away.

It's a figure of speech, yeah he survived
Though he physically survived, his life and circumstances were significantly altered.

But he lost his son and surrendered his tribe
Tragically, Lone Wolf lost his son and was coerced into surrendering his tribe.

To one born to ride that's a hit to his pride
His pride was deeply wounded, particularly by someone who was destined to wreak havoc upon his people.

Especially when he's fighting those who took his son's life
The pain was intensified by the fact that he was battling against those responsible for his son's death.

They locked 'em all away inside a cell with no light
The captured warriors were confined in dark, lightless cells.

Took away their things and made their day turn to night
Their belongings were confiscated, plunging their days into perpetual darkness.

Richard Henry Pratt was the man with the big plan
Richard Henry Pratt devised a grand scheme to address the situation.

He went to I.D. the warriors to make a list and
His first step was to identify the warriors and compile a catalog.

Send 'em all down to Fort Leavenworth like quicksand
The plan involved transporting them to Fort Leavenworth, a seemingly inevitable fate.

From Fort Sill, Oklahoma it was distant listen
The journey from Fort Sill, Oklahoma to Fort Leavenworth was an arduous and distant one.

They were jailed in the guard house
Upon arrival, they were immediately imprisoned within the guard house.

Until Pratt received orders for their transport
Pratt awaited instructions on how to proceed with their transportation.

He was told to take them all down to Fort Marion in
Eventually, he was directed to transfer them to Fort Marion in

Saint Augustine Florida where they can't soar past ports
This location, Saint Augustine, Florida, was chosen to limit their ability to escape.

And as their train approached the Florida border
As the train neared the border of Florida,

A man known as Grey Beard would court disorder
A man by the name of Grey Beard sought to cause chaos and disruption.

He had no intent to croak or fold to orders
His defiance stemmed from a refusal to comply or yield to authority.

So he jumped from the train and flew like mortar
In a bold move, he leaped from the moving train and swiftly escaped.

Pratt had the train stopped to search the spot
Pratt ordered the train to be halted in order to search for Grey Beard.

Didn't find him right away but kept it cordial
Although they did not immediately locate him, they maintained a polite and composed demeanor.

Wasn't long til they found him and popped his top
It didn't take long for them to discover his whereabouts and apprehend him.

Then the train was back on tracks before the morning
After dealing with the situation, the train resumed its journey before daybreak.

After a long three weeks on a
Following an extended period of three weeks spent trapped

Cross country trip trapped inside of this train
during a cross-country train journey,

A large delegation of rebellious Natives
a substantial group of defiant Native Americans

Finally arrived to be shackled and chained
eventually arrived at their destination, where they would be imprisoned and subjected to physical restraints.

In an old fortress dated to the 1600's
The confinement took place within an ancient fortress that dated back to the 1600s.

And descended from the masters of Spain
This stronghold had descended from the Spanish rulers who previously held power there.

Indefinitely jailed as prisoners of war with the fear that
They were imprisoned indefinitely, treated as prisoners of war, and lived with the constant fear that

They'd never see their families again, never again
they would never have the opportunity to reunite with their loved ones.

They slept inside of jail cells surrounded by the
Within the prison walls, they slept in jail cells, enclosed by the

Moldy moist walls enthralled by the coquina
damp, mold-covered walls while captivated by the unique coquina rock formations.

Within a few days a lot of them were dead due to
In a matter of days, a significant number perished as a result of

Illness so they had to pick their cold feet up
various illnesses, forcing the survivors to summon their resolve.

Without a piece of paper the white Quaker made 'em
Without any written documentation, the white Quaker compelled them

Meet their maker and fate with no subpoena
to face their ultimate destiny and uncertain future without any formal notification.

Today they wonder why we mate on first date and
Today, they contemplate and question why society engages in reckless relationships and

Make babies in hate while drinking Old E up
reproduce out of anger, resulting in a cycle of hatred while consuming alcoholic beverages.

General Pratt had to re-up, cause malnutrition
General Pratt had to renew his efforts because malnutrition

And malaria were killing our people
and malaria posed a significant threat to the well-being of the imprisoned Native Americans.

Not to mention hunger strikes, home sickness
Additionally, hunger strikes and profound homesickness were prevalent among the captives.

And dysentery, man this shit was so evil
Moreover, dysentery, an extremely unpleasant condition, plagued the prisoners.

And he had bigger aspirations, like forcing
Pratt harbored greater ambitions, such as compelling

Them to take hold of European navigations
them to embrace European ways of navigation and exploration.

Cut the hair off of Nations, made 'em quit speaking
He imposed the cutting of their hair and mandated the abandonment of their native languages.

Theirs and learn the white man's language
He insisted that they learn and exclusively communicate in the language of the white man.

Suited and booted teaching 'em army maneuvers
Dressed in military attire, he instructed them in various military tactics and maneuvers.

Making 'em look like some American troopers
His aim was to transform them into replicas of American soldiers.

General tactics of a man who usurps and
These actions exemplified the manipulative strategies employed by a man who seizes authority and

Uses them for his home improvements
exploits them for his own personal gain and advantage.

Looted uprooted and booted from their home
They were stripped of their belongings, forcibly displaced, and expelled from their homeland.

Put on display as if a Pratt lawn gnome
They were showcased and exhibited, akin to lawn ornaments belonging to Pratt.

He buffed and shined them as if they were diamonds
He meticulously polished and enhanced their appearances, as if they were valuable diamonds.

And that's how boarding schools became formed
This is how the inception of boarding schools came to be.

Impressed upon his superiors that he
Pratt succeeded in convincing his superiors that he

Could kill the Indian and save the man
had the capability to eradicate the Native American identity while rescuing the individuals.

They green lit the whole operation
His superiors granted approval for the entire operation to proceed.

It all began at Fort Marion
The origin of it all can be traced back to Fort Marion.

More boarding schools were then carried in
Subsequently, additional boarding schools were established.

From Haskell Nations to Carlisle
These schools ranged from Haskell Nations to Carlisle.

Both would become Jim's stomping grounds
Both of these locations would serve as Jim's primary areas of influence and activity.

While other native child's died all the while
Meanwhile, numerous indigenous children lost their lives throughout this period.