Four Tall Trees

Lyrics

[Chorus] Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air [Verse 1] Mary went out hunting in the woods of Keweenaw The wilds up upper Michigan, a long way from the law And as the night grew closer, her feet began to tire She set her lean-to shelter and she set her cooking-fire Between [Chorus] Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air [Verse 2] And as her stew was boiling, she heard a rushing sound As if the winds were running hard, far above the ground Winds told of in legends no onе wished to know Memory came unbiddеn of the tale of Wendigo In the [Chorus] Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air [Verse 3] The Chippewa told White Men, that many years ago A renegade-turned-cannibal became the Wendigo But Chippewa told Méti a very different tale Of sorcery mistaken, that turns red faces pale In the [Chorus] Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air [Verse 4] In centuries forgotten, the ancient people found The uses of pure copper, and built the sacred mound They hammered copper vessels, they hammered copper knives They offered to the Spirits there corn and blood and lives In the [Chorus] Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air [Verse 5] In one hard winter's hunger, they made a sacrifice To Spirits of the forest, of wind and fire and ice They sacrificed a prisoner - his blood spilled on the corn And when they cast it in the fire, the Wendigo was born! In the [Chorus] Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air [Verse 6] They called the beast Windwalker. They called it Voice-of-Flame It calls men to destruction, it calls each one by name It stalks the deepest forest, it walks the lightest breeze And when it lacks the souls of men, it eats the moss from trees Like the [Chorus] Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air [Verse 7] It took the Chippewa hunters, the Méti trappers too And left scorched footprints in the snow, such as no man knew For this they left the forest. They left the sacred mound They left the knives and vessels there, abandoned on the ground In the [Chorus] Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air [Verse 8] As Mary sat remembering and banked the fire high From out the distant forest there came an eerie cry She looked up to the heavens, and something there looked down: A silhouette against the stars, one foot on every crown Of the [Chorus] Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air [Verse 9] Its outline was not human, nor any beast men know And where its bulging head looked down she saw two embers glow It stood upon the treetops, its wings stretched out beside They faded out to nothing, twelve yards to either side Of the [Chorus] Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air [Verse 10] Its voice was rushing windsong - Its voice was roaring flame It whispered half-held promises - It clearly called her name It promised Come and fly with me! And we will soar away And fly above this dreary world forever and a day From these [Chorus] Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air [Verse 11] Mary grasped the nearest tree, and gripped the nearest stone She cried Begone, you liar, and leave me here alone! I am no lonely trapper, nor wandering clanless brave But I have friends and family here, and a life that I would save In these [Chorus] Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air [Verse 12] By word and will they battled, and neither would give way Until the moon rose up the sky and washed it pale as day The Wendigo gave over and turned away again Let go the trees and soared away, straight against the wind! In the [Chorus] Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air [Verse 13] Perhaps it wasn't hungry. Perhaps her will was strong Perhaps the ties of Earth and kin had bound her well and long She could not say what held her against Windwalker's call But she fed the fire until the dawn and did not sleep at all In those [Chorus] Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air Four tall trees, growing in a square Twenty feet apart and a hundred in the air