Nanci Griffith
Lyric guide

Deadwood, South Dakota

Read Deadwood, South Dakota lyrics by Nanci Griffith on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

Nanci Griffith visibility14 visits
person Curated by Ethan Walker LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot

The page facts to cite before the commentary

Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.

Page type: lyric reference Artist: Nanci Griffith Canonical path: /nanci-griffith/deadwood-south-dakota Related lyric paths: 6
Lyrics

Deadwood, South Dakota

The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.

Well, the good times scratched a laugh

From the lungs of the young men

In a Deadwood saloon, South Dakota afternoon

And the old ones by the door

With their heads on their chests

They told lies about whiskey on a woman's breath

Yes, and some tell the story of young Mickey Free

Who lost an eye to a buck deer in the Tongue River Valley

Oh and some tell the story of California Joe

Who sent word through the Black Hills

There was a mountain of gold

And the gold she lay cold in their pockets

And the Sun she sets down on the trees

And they thank the Lord

For the land that they live in

Where the white man does as he pleases

Some flat-shoed fool from the East comes a-runnin'

With some news that he'd read in some St. Joseph paper

And it was "Drinks all around" cause the news he was tellin'

Was the one they called Crazy

Has been caught and been dealt with

And the Easterner he read the news from the paper

And the old ones moved closer so's they could hear better

Well, it says here that Crazy Horse

Was killed while trying to escape

And that was some time last September

It don't give the exact date

And the gold she lay cold in their pockets

And the Sun she sets down on the trees

And they thank the Lord

For the land that they live in

Where the white man does as he pleases

Where the white man does as he pleases

Then the talk turned back to whiskey and women

And cold nights on the plains, Lord

And fightin' them Indians

And the Easterner he says he'll have one more

'Fore he goes

He gives the paper to the Crow boy

Who sweeps up the floor

And the gold she lay cold in their pockets

And the Sun she sets down on the trees

And they thank the Lord

For the land that they live in

Where the white man does as he pleases

Where the white man does as he pleases

Where the white man does as he pleases

As he wants to, as he pleases

Quick answers

What this page can answer fast

Who performs "Deadwood, South Dakota"?

Nanci Griffith performs "Deadwood, South Dakota", and this lyric page sits inside the Nanci Griffith catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "Deadwood, South Dakota"?

Yes. The related section below points to Armstrong and Drops From The Faucet with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Nanci Griffith?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Nanci Griffith's lyric pages.

Song Room

Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song

Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.

Open Song Room
0 followers Selected insights only surface after moderation
Listener comments

What people are saying

0 comments
Add a short interpretation or memory

A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.

Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.

No listener comments on Deadwood, South Dakota yet.