Don Conoscenti

What Else Could I Do
(D Conoscenti, Brad Piccolo, John Cooper...2/3's of the Red Dirt Rangers)

wire fences along the prairie
wooden crosses along the road
great white father and all his soldiers
made ghosts of the buffalo.

i tell the young ones keep to the old ways
they say ... "those are easy words for you"
yes, i signed treaties, betrayed my people
but what else could i do?

they killed my son, stole my woman
.burned the lodges took our food
ball and chain around my ankle
hey, what else could i do.


my dear grandson, my sweet granddaughter
yes i'm old, my days so few
but if the lives of all your people
were in your hands ... what would you do?

my dear grandson, my sweet granddaughter
yes i'm old, my days so few
and if the lives of so many people are in your hands
what will you do

iron horses down in the valley
silver birds up in the blue
i signed papers to save my people
... hey, what else could i do?