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
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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

these lyrics are submitted by kaan