River of Tears

Waiting on an elevator, in a hotel out in California Smog clouds up in the windows, but there is a plaque up on the wall That tells of the Agoras, people who were here long before us Before the covered wagons, before they lost it all They were hunters, they were fishermen und they often fought each other But one small tribe was different, their leader was a peaceful man They were weavers, they were painters, trading pelts for pretty colours Protected by the warriors for the beauty in their hands Roll back the years, roll back the years, to the river of tears The chief he had a daughter, she was young and she was beautiful He said, "Go into the forest, get some berries for the dye But make your way back quickly, for the old bear's getting hungry I don't want you out there, when the sun falls from the sky" Her basket filled with berries, she headed back toward the village When a mighty roar erupted, she ran und hid inside a hollow tree Shadows were getting longer, the forest was getting colder And the chief began to panic, where could his daughter be? Lost in the years, lost in the years, on the river of tears In the camp the fires were dying when the old chief started crying Soon all the tribe were crying, the ground grew wet beneath their feet And the tears they turned to water and the water became a river And the river flowed like an arrow, to the foot of a hollow tree And the girl looked out in wonder, as she saw the water falling She knew it was her father and she swam to his canoe And all the tribe stopped crying, and the river started subsiding Into the hill of the Agoras, and so the legend grew Roll back the years, roll back the years Roll back the years, to the river of tears I wish all the world was healing --- River of Tears - Ian Hunter