This song is available on Hap Palmer's Can A Cherry Pie Wave Goodbye?
Objectives:
- Learn about eagles and Native American culture.
- Recognize and repeat a simple melodic phrase.
Setting:
Sit in a chair, on the rug, or stand in a circle.
Activity:
The instant sing line for this song is, "He was free,
when they let him be." It occurs at the end of each verse. We call
it the "instant sing line" because you can easily learn this phrase
and instantly begin singing along. As you sing, you are hearing
all the other words in the lyric of the song. As all the words
become familiar you can sing the whole song.
Born for a western sky
Sweeping a circle as he flies
He was free, when they let him be
Brave and a hunter's son
The land was his till he met a gun
He was free, when they let him be
In a land without a friend
Will there be an empty sky
Where the eagle used to fly in the wind?
There on a mountain high
Wounded eagle waits to die
He was free, when they let him be.
Dreaming of days gone by
When Navaho children watched him fly
He was free, when they let him be
In a land without a friend
Will there be an empty sky
Where the eagle used to fly in the wind?
Born for a western sky
Sweeping a circle as he flies
He was free, when they let him be
He was free, when they let him be
For hundreds of years, Native Americans have used eagle feathers for religious and cultural purposes, including healing, marriage, and naming ceremonies. In recognition of the significance of these feathers to Native Americans, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service established the National Eagle Repository in the early 1970's to provide Native Americans with the feathers of golden and bald eagles needed for religious purposes. Source: National Eagle Repository, Denver Colorado.
Book or Product Suggestions for this Song:
See more of our Native American Song Lyrics
Many thanks to Hap Palmer for permission to display these lyrics.
© Hap Palmer. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
