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The Indian Lyrics by Vera Johnson

That’s What I Believe

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You were a free man and a hunter
Of the deer and buffalo
You got your food and clothes and shelter
With your spear and with your bow
You taught your son the pride of manhood
Showed him all he had to know
And now your great-great-great-grandson plays cowboys and Indians
All through the day
And he says to his friends, "If I can't be a cowboy
I don't want to play
For the cowboys are good guys and Indians bad guys
And I never want to be bad"
And I smile as I listen to his ultimatum
At the same time it seems kind of sad
Your grandson fought a losing battle
He was proud and he was brave
The white man stole his homeland from him
Turned a free man to a slave
T.B. and smallpox and raw whiskey
Were thе gifts the white man gave
And now your grеat-great-great-grandson plays cowboys and Indians
All through the day
And he says to his friends, "If I can't be a cowboy
I don't want to play
For the cowboys are good guys and Indians bad guys
And I never want to be bad"
And I smile as I listen to his ultimatum
At the same time it seems kind of sad
Your grandson's daughter heard of Jesus
And forgot the tribal ways
For all his goodness and his mercy
This new God she learned to praise
And then the reservation trapped her
Like a rat caught in a maze
And now your great-great-great-grandson plays cowboys and Indians
All through the day
And he says to his friends, "If I can't be a cowboy
I don't want to play
For the cowboys are good guys and Indians bad guys
And I never want to be bad"
And I smile as I listen to his ultimatum
At the same time it seems kind of sad
Your great-great-grandson left his people
For the life there got him down
He studied hard to be a welder
And he found a job in town
He wed a blonde girl and had children
And forgot that he was brown
And now your great-great-great-grandson plays cowboys and Indians
All through the day
And he says to his friends, "If I can't be a cowboy
I don't want to play
For the cowboys are good guys and Indians bad guys
And I never want to be bad"
And I smile as I listen to his ultimatum
At the same time it seems kind of sad
Credits
Vera Johnson

Vera Johnson

About “The Indian” by Vera Johnson

Read the complete lyrics to "The Indian" by Vera Johnson from the album "That’s What I Believe". 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.

"The Indian" is performed by Vera Johnson. from the album "That’s What I Believe" 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 "The Indian", explore more songs by Vera Johnson 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.

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Frequently asked questions

"The Indian" is credited to Vera Johnson. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Indian" appears on "That’s What I Believe".

Visit the Vera Johnson artist page at /artist/vera-johnson for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.