Will to Survive

We were norskies and Swedish
Reached Greenland and Kiev in olden times
Come to the U.S. from the north lands
Brought little but the will to survive

Sailed westward from the old world
Seeking space and room to build new lives
Pushed by prejudice and hunger
Needed the will to survive

Signed up with the U.S. Cavalry
Went west to fight the native tribes
They fought like the devil’s own
We had the will to survive

Kept on moving through the plains states
Laid track and worked the lumber mines
Got land to farm through the homestead act
We had the will to survive

We worked the land grew our crops
Some winters barely stayed alive
Snow would touch the eaves of our homes
Needed the will to survive

Our wives were rocks beside us
They worked the fields kept the kids in line
We had room to breathe we grew and grew
We had the will to survive