Hovenweep

HOVENWEEP

Asus2 . . . . . Em . . . . . . . . . . . . Asus2 . . . . . Em
We lived in Hovenweep; in Hovenweep, we died.
Asus2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Em . . . . . C . . . . . D . . . . . Esus2
We danced when the moon was full, to Coyote's triumphant song.
Our crops grew in the sandy soil; we laughed here and we cried.
Our work was our wisdom and our dance made us strong.
Our dance kept us strong.

    A#sus2 . . . . . . . . . G
    Our dance is our glory.
    Our dance is what we are.
    Our dance is celebration,
    To praise the morning star,
    Em . . F . . . . . . . . . . . . . G
    Giving thanks to the morning star.

Our lives were full till the spring dried up and the people grew weak and thin.
We drifted down the canyons; our story, no tongue can tell.
Coyote called us to distant lands, where our dance grew strong again.
Grandfather owl taught us from the pinon and brother rabbit fed us well.
Brother rabbit fed us well.

    Our dance is our story.
    Our dance is our lives.
    Our dance is the root of our nation,
    Without it we won't survive,
    Without it we can't survive.

Hovenweep is now in ruins; coyote's song there is sad and gray.
No crops grow in the hard dry ground but ancient laughter is still in the air.
So we dance when it's planting season and we dance on harvest day.
And we dance with our ancestors, who are with us everywhere.
They dance with us everywhere.

Feel free to perform this song in public, as long as you mention who wrote it. (A mention of the CD, Ancient Laughter, and the fact that it can purchased from www.cdbaby.com would be appreciated too.) If you want to record it, however, you will have to cross my palm with silver. My brother-in-law comes from Sicily.