Broken Arrows

BROKEN ARROW (1950)

Cochise can't even read a map,
but he and his men know every gully,
every foot of every mountain,
every waterhole in Arizona.
His horses can go twice as far as yours in a day, and his men can run on foot as far as a horse can run.
He can't write his name, but his intelligence service knows when you got to Fort Grant and how many men you've got. He stopped the Butterfield Stage from running. He stopped the U.S. Mail from going through. And for the first time in Indian history, he has all the Apaches from all the tribes fighting under one command.

Buffalo Springfield: Broken Arrow


the lights turned on and the curtain fell down
and when it was over it felt like a dream
they stood at the stage door and begged for a scream
the agents had paid for the black limousine
that waited outside in the rain
did you see them? did you see them?
did you see them in the river?
they were there to wave to you
could you tell that the empty-quivered
brown-skinned Indian on the banks
that were crowded and narrow held a broken arrow?

eighteen years of American dream
he saw that his brother had sworn on the wall
he hung up his eyelids and ran down the hall
his mother had told him a trip was a fall
and don't mention babies at all
did you see him? did you see him?
did you see him in the river?
he was there to wave to you
could you tell that the empty-quivered
brown-skinned Indian on the banks
that were crowded and narrow held a broken arrow?

the streets were lined for the wedding parade
the Queen wore the white gloves
the county of song
the black-covered caisson her horses had drawn
protected her King from the sun rays of dawn
they married for peace and were gone
did you see them? did you see them?
did you see them in the river?
they were there to wave to you
could you tell that the empty-quivered
brown-skinned Indian on the banks
that were crowded and narrow held a broken arrow?

Robbie Robertson: Broken Arrow


who else is gonna bring you a broken arrow?
who else is gonna bring you a bottle of rain?
there he goes moving across the water
there he goes turning my whole world around

do you feel what I feel?
can we make it so that it's part of the deal?
I gotta hold you in these arms of steel
lay your heart on the line this time
I want to breathe when you breathe
when you whisper like that hot summer breeze
count the beads of sweat that cover me
then you show me a sign this time
who else is gonna bring you a broken arrow?
who else is gonna bring you a bottle of rain?
there he goes moving across the water
there he goes turning my whole world around

can you see what I see?
can you cut behind the mystery?
I will meet you by the witness tree
leave the whole world behind
I want to come when you call
I'll get to you if I have to crawl
they can't hold me with these iron walls
we've got mountains to climb
who else is gonna bring you a broken arrow?
who else is gonna bring you a bottle of rain?
there he goes moving across the water
there he goes turning my whole world around
turning my whole world around