[Verse 1] From the wide South Dakota morning A young man carried stories on With a steady heart and open hands He gave the past a place to stand From Lawrence classrooms, cameras rolled He learned to lift the truths untold Not for praise, not for a crown But so a people’s voice stayed sound [Pre-Chorus] Joni’s son, Joseph’s child With a spirit fierce and mild Family gathered close behind A name held gently in the mind [Chorus] Cole, your footsteps cross the prairie Long after the dust has settled down Pete Plenty Clouds still rides the story But your truest strength was here and now You stood for home, you stood for kin You let the hard light find the truth Cole, the road remembers where you’ve been And the people carry on with you [Verse 2] On the screen, beneath old horizons You brought a quiet fire to the frame In tales of frontier, open country You gave a living face to name A citizen of Cheyenne River A nephew, son, and brother near You spoke for those too often missing And made room for their voices here [Pre-Chorus] Not just the roles the world could see But every bond and legacy A cultural advocate by choice A careful hand, a fearless voice [Chorus] Cole, your footsteps cross the prairie Long after the dust has settled down Pete Plenty Clouds still rides the story But your truest strength was here and now You stood for home, you stood for kin You let the hard light find the truth Cole, the road remembers where you’ve been And the people carry on with you [Bridge] May your family feel the shelter Of the love you helped to grow May the young hear what you opened May the old know what you showed No life is measured only By the years that it was given Some names become a guiding fire Some voices keep on living [Final Chorus] Cole, your footsteps cross the prairie Through the cottonwood and open ground Pete Plenty Clouds still rides the story And your courage keeps resounding now You stood for home, you stood for kin You let the hard light find the truth Cole, the road remembers where you’ve been The people carry on with you [Outro] Rest where the wide winds travel Rest where the morning starts anew Your family, your people, your stories Keep a place in the world for you
