“Dances With Wolves”
by John Barry
lyrics by David Mentzer


Chorus Wide open spaces draw wide open dreamers,
Hearts of adventure, they flood all the streams,
Westward it beckons, the heart of this great land–
Prairies and buffalo…mountains, wolves and man.

Verse 1 Wagon loads of courage make their way out west,
Searching for a homestead beyond the mountains’ crest,
Fording all the rivers with fortitude in place,
They overcome their hardships…with their grit and grace.

Verse 2 Sunrises beckon and sunsets say goodbye,
And all are in a sky so big it makes your heart cry,
With feathers and rifles, love will find a way…
To cross bridges built with…blood, sweat and clay.

Verse 3 Clouds that come in colors paint the western skies,
Thunder is a neighbor on hooves that never die,
Wolves fill the mountains with their mournful sound,
And run through sage & dust clouds…to hunt that thunder down.

Chorus Wide open spaces draw wide open dreamers,
Hearts of adventure, they flood all the streams,
Westward it beckons, the heart of this great land–
Prairies and buffalo…mountains, wolves and man.

Verse 4 Settlers circle wagons as day approaches night,
The haunting cry of wolf song stokes the fires high,
The starry vault of heaven urges dreamers on…
To count each star a dream fulfilled…then find another one.

Verse 5 Eagles soar the hot breath rising off the plains,
From halfway to the sky, they strike and make a claim,
Deep in canyons rivers run, their clear waters free,
Guiding all the settlers west…to find what they seek.

Verse 6 From giant redwood forests that hide the mountain tops
To lakes as big as oceans the bold would dare to cross–
Any dream the settlers bring, this land is grander still…
It’s the draw that gives them all…the courage to fulfill.

Chorus Wide open spaces draw wide open dreamers,
Hearts of adventure, they flood all the streams,
Westward it beckons, the heart of this great land–
Prairies and buffalo…mountains, wolves and man.


lyrics by David Jo Mentzer