This song is available on Sun Sun Shine: Songs for Curious Children.

People around the country have changed the list of tribes in the chorus to include some of their local names.

In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue,
It was a courageous thing to do
But someone was already here.

Columbus knew the world was round
So he looked for the East while westward bound,
But he didn't find what he thought he found,
And someone was already here.

Chorus
The Inuit and Cherokee,
The Aztec and Menominee,
The Onandaga and the Cree;
Columbus sailed across the sea,
But someone was already here.

It isn't like it was empty space,
Caribs met him face to face.
Could anyone discover the place
When someone was already here?

Chorus

So tell me, who discovered what?
He thought he was in a different spot.
Columbus was lost, the Caribs were not;
They were already here.

Chorus

See more of our Native American and Social Studies Song Lyrics.

Many thanks to Nancy Schimmel for permission to publish these lyrics.
© Nancy Schimmel. All rights reserved.

Social Studies Downloads

Social Studies CDs