Free

Left St Louis three springs ago Soon as the sun thawed the snow Trudged my way up a'mountain land Built these walls with my two hands I've traded pelts with the Sioux Made my clothes sewed my shoes The winters hard the snow is deep But I'm beholden to no man but me Once you're free You can't go back Once you're free You're gonna die like that There's beaver, deer and wapiti Far as an eye can see The water's rich with perch and trout The soil is dark with fertile ground Rumors echo through the leaves That hard times rumble on back east But I plant my corn and skin my game And thank the Lord for one more day Once you're free You can't go back Once you're free You're gonna die like that Once you're free You can't go back Once you're free You're gonna die like that And someday I'll die among these trees The wolves and maggots will bury me There'll be no stone to mark my grave Just a Hawken rifle and an old King James