Anna Mae was killed in 1975 in the Bad Lands of South Dakota. The identity of the killers is now known but the question remains who gave the orders.
Anna Mae came to the plains I’m told
blow Dakota Blow
from way up east where the weather gets cold
the cold Dakota winds they blow
and she said “I hear there’s been trouble down here”
they said “trouble – we been gettin’ trouble every year”
Anna Mae made a vow by the fire that night
that she would give her life to the people’s fight
then the voice in the whispering wind did say
“somebody’s gonna get hurt some day”
in nineteen hundred seventy-two
trouble in the Pine Ridge settlement grew
in nineteen hundred seventy-three
the trouble exploded at Wounded Knee
in nineteen hundred seventy-four
there was a backlash beatin’ at everybody’s door
then the warning passed from tongue to tongue
there was trouble comin’ with a federal gun
they took Anna Mae off to jail one day
but just exactly why they never would say
they wanted some facts and they wanted some names
but Anna Mae wouldn’t tell ‘em a thing
she said “you can kill me dead or lock me away
‘cause that’s what you’re gonna be doin’ anyway”
then they said “all right, you’re free to go
just don’t say we never warned you so”
there were three went walkin’ in the badlands then
only two comin’ back again
one took the wheel and the other the gun
somebody gave the order and the deed was done
the story spread both far and wide
how another daughter of the people had died
and the people came from many a mile
to lay her away in traditional style
and the song upon the drum was sung
and the sky covered over and the storm did come
and the voice in the howling wind did say
“somebody’s gonna pay some day”
Released on Visions In My View, Heroes and Survivors, and Human Interesting.
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