The New Wild West

Music by Jewel Kilcher
Lyrics by Jewel Kilcher


You see the ghosts of the buffalo moving both fierce and slow
Like glittering prophecies on the edge of the horizon
As you drive glittering highways and beaten up bi-ways
That straddle and girdle our great and many faced nation
You see lambs in the ghettos that worship their Gepettos
Believing in though never seeing the strings they think bind them
So you write to our congressmen with bleeding pens of the sorrow within
And pretend that you sent tickets to the latest Tom Hanks show

  Chorus
Welcome to the new wild west
Each man for himself
A nation of civilized steeples
And lonely people
Welcome to the new wild west

There are so many factions and cue card reactions
It's hard to keep clear the possibilities here
'Cause there's no force to unite them
Privilege has ruled for thousands of years
Wars has been fought with bibles and tears
Yet liberation can't deny the temptation and soon becomes the oppressor
Show me a leader who's fit to lead
Who don't sow his seed in anything wounded enough to breed
Because after all, what fun's power if you can act like a rock star?

  Chorus

As for me, I've been petty
Oh, and unkind but I know my own mind
And since it seems clear there's no one leading us here
The only thing left it appears is to task ourselves to be better each time than those before us
We'll be an army of thieves
Of self freed slaves
Of mild-manned maids
We'll fight with whispers and blades
So get ready
A new day is dawning, so

  Chorus

JEWEL
"The New Wild West"
This Way