Johnny Cash The Talking Leaves Lyrics

The Talking Leaves Lyrics

Sequoia's winters were sixteen

Silent tongue spirit clean

He walked at his father's side

Across the smoking battle ground

Where red and white men lay all around

So many here had died



The wind had scattered around

Snow white leaves upon the ground

Not leaves like leaves from trees

Sequoia said, "What can this be?"

"What's the strange thing here I see?"

"From where come leaves like these?"



Sequoia turned to his father's eyes

And he said, "Father you're wise

From where come such snow white leaves

With such strange marks upon these squares

Not even the wise owl could put them there

So strange these snow white leaves"



His father shielding his concern

Resenting the knowledge Sequoia yearned

Crumbled the snow white leaves

He said, "When I explain then it's done

These are talking leaves, my son

The white men's talking leaves"



The white man takes a berry of black and red

And an eagle's feather from the eagle's bed

And he makes bird track marks

And the marks on the leaves they say

Carry messages to his brother far away

And his brother knows what's in his heart



They see these marks and they understand

The truth in the heart of the far off man

The enemies can't hear them

Said Sequoia's father, "Son

They weave bad medicine on these talking leaves

Leave such things to them"



Then Sequoia walking lightly

Followed his father quietly

But so amazed was he

If the white man talks on leaves

Why not the Cherokee?



Vanished from his father's face

Sequoia went from place to place

But he could not forget

Year after year he worked on and on

Till finally he cut into stone

The Cherokee alphabet



Sequoia's hair by now was white

His eyes began to lose their light

But he taught all who would believe

That the Indian's thoughts could be written down

Just as the white men's there on the ground

And he left us these talking leaves