BuffyFest Four

Day four of my adventure with Buffy Sainte-Marie, listening to her complete works on my iPod as I travel round London.

Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan

From 1976's 'Sweet America', this is one of the first 'pow wow rock' songs I ever heard with Buffy marrying pow wow sounds to pop/rock songs. It's quite a short song, limited words repeated and Buffy leading a pow wow chorus - I love it. Qu'Appelle Valley is where Buffy was born and in the song she invites us to walk the old way with her. I'd love to, heyo ha heya.

The Big Ones Get Away

A story of corporate greed and the rich men who can buy their way out of legal problems while the minnows are caught, one of the singles from 'Coincidence And Likely Stories' in 1992. Buffy produced a very simple but powerful video for this song that plays to the warrior in her soul when she sings the words,

And if I had a way to reach the sky
Grab that crescent moon
Wield it like a knife
Save you from the lies
From the ropes that bind you...

and you see her reach up to the moon and slash her hand down double-handed as if cutting ropes, a very potent image. Buffy is a poet and artist and seer, but she's also a warrior.

Darling Don't Cry

Another pow wow song from 'Up Where We Belong' in 1996. It's about what happens on the pow wow trail along the border between Canada and the USA and what happens when young people get together, a singer to the heartbeat drum and a dancer, and Buffy is the dancer. I like the closing lines, 'If you like I'll take you home, When I go back to Canada' because that's where I saw Buffy perform this song and the audience erupted, joining in the pow wow singing which was a wonderful experience and a privilege to be in that company.

Samples of all these songs are available on the Buffy tribute site so head on over and take a listen.