Pocahontas

Song Meaning

The lyrics open with a stark, urgent flight under the "Aurora borealis," immediately establishing a sense of escape and profound loss. The journey is "From the white man to the fields of green," seeking a "homeland that we've never seen." This sets a tone of historical displacement and yearning for a lost, perhaps mythical, past. This initial flight quickly gives way to brutal historical recounting. The lyrics detail massacres in "teepees" and "women cut down," vividly portraying the violence of colonial expansion. The arrival of "fire sticks and the wagons" marks a devastating turning point, casting a long shadow over the land and its people. This section grounds the emotional weight in specific, harrowing historical imagery. A striking shift occurs as the narrative juxtaposes this historical trauma with a modern, almost numb existence. The "massacred the buffalo kitty-corner from the bank" creates a jarring image, blending past violence with contemporary urban indifference. The narrator's "eyes have turned to blanks" while "taxis run across my feet," suggesting a profound detachment or exhaustion in a "little box" apartment. This blend of eras highlights the persistent echo of history in the present. The lyrics then pivot to a deeply personal, almost fantastical yearning. The desire to "sleep with Pocahontas and find out how she felt" isn't just romantic; it's a plea to understand and connect with the emotional core of a brutalized past. The imagined scene with Marlon Brando, discussing "Hollywood and the good things there for hire" alongside "the first teepee," creates a surreal space where historical figures and modern commercialism collide, perhaps questioning how history is commodified or remembered. This dreamlike conclusion offers a poignant, if bittersweet, way to grapple with immense historical pain.