Lyric discussion by da_sproings 

Cover art for Cripple Crow lyrics by Devendra Banhart

Okay, so first off, in the last stanza, the lines should read

Crippled crow, say something for grieving Where do we go Once we start leaving? Well close that wound Or else keep on bleeding And change your tune It's got no meaning

I don't think he would say "close that womb." It doesn't really fit with the rest of the song, as there is no mention of childbirth in there.

Secondly, the song is definitely about pacifism, not the history of American Indians. If you listen to the rest of the album, there are all kinds of anti-war statements. I think he's talking more about the present than the past.

So he says "We've got no guns, no we don't have any weapons." The American Indians had guns and had weapons. Sure they were outgunned in the vast majority of the conflicts, but they fought. There were massacres, but there were also battles.

I think the Cripple Crow reference could be to any number of things. Whatever it is, my guess is that it's something specific, not a convoluted metaphor for American Indians.

@da_sproings huh why would he say close that womb lol.