Lyrks
Lyrks
Sign In
Cover Art

Lakota Lyrics by Joni Mitchell

Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting to Be Danced

1988

[Refrain]
I am Lakota
Lakota

[Verse 1]
Looking at money man
Diggin' the deadly quotas
Out of balance, out of hand
We want the land

[Verse 2]
Lay down the reeking ore
Don't you hear the shrieking in the trees?
Everywhere you touch the earth she's sore
Every time you skin her all things weep

[Verse 3]
Your money mocks us
Restitution, what good can it do?
Kenneled in metered boxes
Red dogs in debt to you

[Refrain]
I am Lakota
Lakota

[Verse 4]
Fighting among ourselves
All we can say with one whole heart
Is we won't sell, no, we'll never sell
We want the land

[Verse 5]
The lonely coyote calls
In the woodlands, footprints of the deer
In the barrooms, poor drunk bastard falls
In the courtrooms, deaf ears, sixty years

[Verse 6]
You think we're sleeping
But quietly like rattlesnakes and stars
We have seen the trampled rainbows
In the smoke of cars

[Chorus]
I am Lakota, brave sun, pity me
I am Lakota, broken moon, pity me
I am Lakota, grave shadows stretching
Lakota, oh pity me
I am Lakota, weak grass, pity me
I am Lakota, faithful rocks, pity me
I am Lakota, meek standing water
Lakota, oh pity me

[Refrain]
I am Lakota
Lakota

[Verse 7]
Standing on sacred land
We never sold these Black Hills
To the missile-heads, to the power plants
We want the land

[Verse 8]
The bullet and the fence
Broke Lakota, the black coats and the booze
Broke Lakota, courts that circumvent
Choke Lakota, nothing left to lose

[Verse 9]
Tell me, grandfather
You spoke the fur and feather tongues
Do you hear the whimpering waters
When the tractors come?

[Chorus]
I am Lakota, brave sun, pity me
I am Lakota, broken moon, pity me
I am Lakota, grave shadows stretching
Lakota, oh pity me
I am Lakota, weak grass, pity me
I am Lakota, faithful rocks, pity me
I am Lakota, meek standing water
Lakota, oh pity me

[Outro]
Sun, pity me
Mother earth, mother moon, pity me
Father sky, father shadows stretching on the forest floor
Mother earth, oh pity me
Father sky, father grass, pity me
Mother earth, mother rocks, pity me
Father sky, father water standing in a wakan manner
Mother earth, oh pity me

About “Lakota” by Joni Mitchell

Read the complete lyrics to "Lakota" by Joni Mitchell from the album "Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting to Be Danced" in 1988. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop, Pop-Rock, Aa (Check Description).

"Lakota" is performed by Joni Mitchell. from the album "Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting to Be Danced" in 1988 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Lakota", explore more songs by Joni Mitchell using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Joni Mitchell · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Lakota" is credited to Joni Mitchell. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Lakota" appears on "Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting to Be Danced" in 1988.

Visit the Joni Mitchell artist page at /artist/joni-mitchell for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


Lyrks
Lyrks

Your gateway to the world of music lyrics.

Product

Features


© 2026 Lyrks. All rights reserved.