Wounded Knee
Walela Lyrics
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Where a baby's blood was
A soldiers pay
Bury my heart at Wounded Knee
Let it lie with my brother's
Til the judgement day
My people were the earth
And the earth was home
They stole their bones
Let my people, let my people pass
Crossing over this Jordan is all we ask
Take the eyes of the guns of peace away
My people can't eat promises
But they can pray
Now my blood is flowing back to Tennessee
And my soul is moving in and out of reach
I'm dancing cause I carry my father's seed
And I'm walking on this earth to set my people free
Bury my heart at Wounded Knee
The lyrics to Walela's song Wounded Knee speak to the atrocities committed against Native Americans, particularly at the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. The first two lines of the song, "Bury my heart at Wounded Knee / Where a baby's blood was / A soldiers pay" immediately set the tone for the song - one of mourning, loss and senseless violence. The song goes on to talk about the theft of Native American land and the disregard for their lives and culture by the colonizers. The chorus - "Bury my heart at Wounded Knee / Let it lie with my brother's / Til the judgement day" - calls for remembrance and honoring of those who died at the massacre, as well as a yearning for justice and recognition of the pain that has been inflicted upon their people.
The second verse speaks to the power dynamics at play between Native Americans and the American government, with the lyrics "Take the eyes of the guns of peace away / My people can't eat promises / But they can pray" highlighting the broken promises made to Native Americans in exchange for their land, and their inability to use these promises to sustain themselves. The final verse brings the song full circle, with the lyrics "Bury my heart at Wounded Knee / Let it lie with my brother's / Til the judgement day" reinforcing the importance of honoring the memories of those who died.
Overall, the song is a powerful and emotional tribute to the resilience of Native American people in the face of brutal violence and oppression. It is a call for remembrance, justice, and healing.
Line by Line Meaning
Bury my heart at Wounded Knee
I want to rest eternally at the site of the massacre at Wounded Knee, South Dakota.
Where a baby's blood was
Where an innocent infant's blood was spilled and lost forever.
A soldiers pay
The American military personnel who committed this atrocity were rewarded for their actions.
Let it lie with my brother's
Let me, the singer's, heart rest in the same place as her brothers who were killed in the massacre.
Til the judgement day
May my heart rest there until the day of judgement, or the end of the world.
My people were the earth
My people were deeply connected to and intertwined with the land on which they lived.
And the earth was home
The earth was everything to my people - their house, their food source, their medicine, and their religion.
When they stole their land
When colonizers took my people's land and forced them onto reservations, they stole their identity and autonomy as well.
They stole their bones
Through massacres like Wounded Knee and forced assimilation, the colonizers tried to erase my people's very existence and heritage.
Let my people, let my people pass
Let my people cross over the threshold to the afterlife, free from the oppression of the colonizers.
Crossing over this Jordan is all we ask
Just as the Israelites crossed the river Jordan into their promised land, let my people cross over into eternal peace and rest.
Take the eyes of the guns of peace away
Stop using weapons as a false symbol of peace, and truly work towards peaceful and just relationships.
My people can't eat promises
We need more than empty promises of justice and equality - we need action and tangible changes in policy and society.
But they can pray
The only thing left to do when prayer is the only thing that one can do to feel a sense of hope.
Now my blood is flowing back to Tennessee
My sense of belonging and heritage is taking me back to my ancestral home in Tennessee.
And my soul is moving in and out of reach
Sometimes my spirit is strong and persistent, and other times it feels like it's just out of reach.
I'm dancing cause I carry my father's seed
I am joyfully celebrating my connection to my father and my lineage.
And I'm walking on this earth to set my people free
I am determined to use my time on this earth to work towards freedom and justice for my people.
Bury my heart at Wounded Knee
I want to rest eternally at the site of the massacre at Wounded Knee, South Dakota.
Contributed by Adam N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.