Mr. Relocation


Vintage recording (1985) with new visuals

Think of it this way, they come to your door
They say you must move and they will prove it
That can’t happen here you say, this is the USA

But it’s not the same for those who were here
Before Columbus came…they’ve got to give up their claim

In 19 hundred 23 a tribal council came to be
To represent the Navajo of the Big Mountain soil
The causes of the council’s birth
Will tell you what the council’s worth
The council was formed by Standard Oil

They came to conquer, possess and destroy
Steal land and livestock, livelihood and joy
Rape and destruction of the Mother Earth
When the water is poisoned, what’s it worth?

The natural law says to live with the land
And keep it for a daughter to hold in her hand

Chorus:

To those who fence and confine it
Who kill it in order to mine it
All I can say is Mr. Relocation, shame on you!

To help the Indians to help themselves
Sounded like a noble goal
Until the lawyer for the relocation
Turned out to work for Peabody Coal
Money-grubbing politicians, they all got ambitions
To turn traditions into their opposites
Even a commissioner said the relocation
Reminded him of a place called Auschwitz

To live a life of fear, it is not pretty
Think about it
Whatever happens here will happen in your city
Do not doubt it
The land is the answer, the land is the cause
You try to break our lives
We’ll have to break your laws
Chorus