Ghost Dance Songs


Sioux
Kiowa
Paiute
Promise,Fulfillment,
and Thanks
A Sioux Sequence

THE FATHER COMES SINGING
There is the father coming,
There is the father coming.
The father says this as he comes,
The father says this as he comes,
"You shall live," he says as he comes,
"You shall live," 'he says as he comes.

HE PROMISES REUNION
The father says so-Eyayó !
The father says so-Eyayó !
The father says so.
The father says so.
You shall see your grandfather-Eyayó !
You shall see your grandfather-Eyayó !
The father says so,
The father says so,
You shall see your kindred-Eyayó !
You shall see your kindred-Eyayó !
The father says so,
The father says so.

PEACE AND TRUTH WILL RETURN
My son, let me grasp your hand,
My son, let me grasp your hand,
Says the father,
Says the father.
You shall live,
You shall live,
Says the father,
Says the father.

I bring you a pipe,
I bring you a pipe,
Says the father,
Says the father.
By means of it you shall live,
By means of It you shall live,
Says the father,
Says the father.

MEN WILL LIVE AS THEY SHOULD
I love my children - Ye'ye' !
I love my children - Ye'ye'!
You shall grow to be a notion - Ye'ye'!
You shall grow to be a nation - Ye'ye'l
Says the father, says the father,
Haye'ye' Eyayo'yo'! Haye'ye' Eyayo'yo!

THE LAND VALL BE FRUITFUL AGAIN
This is to be my work - Yo'yoyo'!
This is to be my work- Yo'yoyo'!
All that grows upon the earth is mine - Yo'yoyo' !
All that grows upon the earth is mine - Yo'yoyo' !
Says the father - Yo'yoyo'!
Says the father - Yo'yoyo'!
Eya Yo'yoyo'!
Eya Yo'yoyo' !

MY GREAT GIFTS ARE LIFE AND PEACE
It is I who make these sacred things,
Says the father, says the father.
It is I who make the sacred shirt,
Says the father, Says the father.
It is I who made the pipe.
Says the father, says the father,

THE POWER OF THE FATHER IS AWESOME
You see what I can do - Ye'yeye'!
You see what I can do - Ye'yeye' !
You see them, you see them,
Ha'eye'ya heyeye! Ha'eye'ya he'yeye!

In Faith and in Wind


A Kiowa Sequence

THE WAY IT WILL HAPPEN; PRAY TO
SPEED THE DAY
The father will descend,
The father will descend.
The earth will tremble,
The earth will tremble.
Everybody will arise,
Everybody will arise.
Stretch out your hands.
Stretch out your hands.

IT WILL BE THE WORK OF THE FATHER. NOT MAN
The spirit army is approaching,
The spirit army is approaching.
The whole world is moving onward,
The whole world is moving onward,
See! Everybody is standing watching,
See! Everybody is standing watching.
Let us all pray,
Let us all pray,


THE FATHER WILL PITY THE LEAST ONE
My father has much pity for us,
My father has much Pity for us,
I hold out my hands toward him and cry,
I hold out my hands toward him and cry.
In my Poverty I hold out my hands toward him and cry,
In my poverty I hold out my hands toward him and cry.

THE LEAST SHARE HIS COMPASSION
Heye' heye' heye' hey' Aho'ho!
Heye' heye' heye' hey' Aho'ho!
Because I am poor,
Because I am poor,
I pray for every living creature,
I pray for every living creature,
Ao'ri yo ! Ao ri yo !

THE OLD WAYS WILL RETURN
He makes me dance with arrows,
He makes me dance with arrows,
He calls the bow my father,
He calls the bow my father,
Grandmother, persevere,
Grandmother, persevere,

I TRUST IT IS HAPPENING
The spirit host is advancing, they say,
The spirit host is advancing, they say.
They are coming with the buffalo, they say,
They am coming with the buffalo, they say,
They are coming with the (new) earth, they say,
They are coming with the (new) earth, they say.

AND I WAIT WITH THE WIND AND MY FAITH
The wind, that wind
Shakes my tipi, shakes my tipi,
And sings a song for me.
And sings a song for me.


A Paiute Sequence

INCANTATION TO NATURE TO REJOIN MAN
Fog ! Fog !
Lightningl Lightningl
Whirlwind! Whirlwind!

WIND RISES FIRST IN THE HIGH PLACES
There is dust from the whirlwind,
There is dust from the whirlwind,
There is dust from the whirlwind,
The whirlwind on the mountain,
The whirlwind on the mountain,
The whirlwind on the mountain.

THEN IT VIBRATES IN ROCKS
The rocks are ringing,
The rocks are ringing,
The rocks are ringing,
They are ringing in the mountains,
They are ringing in the mountains,
They are ringing in the mountains.


AND IT BREAKS THEIR RESISTANCE
The black rock, the black rock,
The black rock, the black rock.
The rock is broken, the rock is broken,
The rock is broken, the rock is broken.

WITH THE SPEED OF WIND, AS CONCEALING AS SNOW, NEW EARTH COVERS THE OLD
The whirlwind! The whirlwind!
The whirlwind! The whirlwind!
The snowy earth comes gliding, the snowy earth
comes gliding;
The snowy earth comes gliding, the snowy earth
comes gliding.

NEW GROWTH COVERS NEW EARTH
The cottonwoods are growing tall,
The cottonwoods are growing tall,
The cottonwoods are growing tall.
They are growing call and verdant,
They are growing tall and verdant,
They are growing tall and verdant.

ALL CREATURES AGAIN SHARE THE EARTH IN THEIR JOY
A slender antelope, a slender antelope,
A slender antelope, a slender antelope,
He is wallowing he upon the ground,
He is wallowing upon the ground,
He to Wallowing upon the ground,
He is wallowing upon the ground.

Excerpts of Ghost Dance Songs from “Native American Religions,” Literature of the American Indian.