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Ballad Of The Rocky Mountain Pines

from Musica Millefolium by Lightnin' Seed

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lyrics

A carpet of flame on the forest floor
the pines just watch with a calm gaze
around here they get these kinds of storms
the lightning comes without the rain
but these trees are wise ones
they got a plan for when the fire comes
pitch flows to fill the holes
when the flames get in past their thick skin
but, 100 years, no fire comes
to clear the way for saplings in full sun
in the shade the spruce and fir come up
and the old pines die of blister rust

Baby bear, I swear, we used to eat like fucking kings
the treasure troves of pine nuts we stole from the squirrels
but we never felt like thieves
baby bear I swear there used to be so many pines
but in these pine ghost forests we gotta wonder how
we're going to survive

white bark pine bent down on the desert floor
so stressed they can't even make cones
are they bent down giving thanks to birds
who brought their seeds out here to be sown?
They know they would've had to crawl back
one generation at a time
but nutcrackers carries seeds
and buried them in the burnt ground to hide
they emerge the forgotten cache
like eggs that hatched with no mama tree
to live a life of prostrate thanks
to forgetful mama birds who always leave

Baby bird the word is please Stick around
the rocky moountains need you
when the fire finally burns them to their ground
baby bird I know it's slim pickin' in the pines
In the pines, in the pines, will there be pines
If you fly out of rocky mountain high?

credits

from Musica Millefolium, released October 31, 2013

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Lightnin' Seed

Lightnin' Seed is Brenna Sahatjian and Mark Gunnery. They sing songs about herbs, storms, and natural phenomena. They are both members of the Riot Folk Collective and are DIY herbalists, artists, and writers.

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