Medicinals

verse 1 I was walking through the National Mall Thinking about medicinals, how they used to grow there When the ground was a marshland Undisturbed by human hands, and I heard their voices The sumac said, "We are always here" The witch hazel, "We are always here" The sassafras, "We are always here" The bluestem grasses always here verse 2 I looked about, what did I see? Medicinals growin’ around me, rising from the gravel Sumac and the witch hazel Come to soothe our pain, our souls, come to soothe our troubles The sumac said, "We are always here" The witch hazel, "We are always here" The sassafras, "We are always here" The bluestem grasses always here Outro But do you see that woman, sitting in the wheelchair? With her Redskins cap on backwards, what's that she's singing? As from inside a paper wrapper, she sips from a bottle A new painkiller, for the native people