Savages

**Savages** is the seventh song performed in Pocahontas. In this song, both the Powhatans and the English declare war on each other after the capture of John Smith and because of their inability to understand each other.

## Build-up

Thomas runs back to Jamestown in panic screaming for help. Ben and Lon, after telling him to settle down, ask Thomas what's wrong. Thomas brings them the news that the Powhatans have captured John Smith. Governor Ratcliffe notices and hears the rising panic among the settlers and decides to use this as a motivation for the settlers to declare war on the Powhatans to get the gold he incorrectly suspects them of hiding. Thomas begins rallying the settlers to mount a rescue insisting that they needed to rescue John since he would do the same for any of them. Ben tells the others, "Thomas is right, we've got to do something." Ratcliffe intervenes to say that they will do something to save John Smith and that he was right along. The Powhatans couldn't be trusted, and John Smith was wrong to try to befriend them, "But now I say it's time to rescue our courageous comrade. At daybreak, we attack!"

## Lyrics Part 1 (Movie)

**Governor Ratcliffe:**

What can you expect from filthy little heathens?

Here's what you get when races are diverse!

Their skin's a hellish red, they're only good when dead.

They're vermin, as I said, and worse!

**English Settlers:**

They're savages! Savages!

**Governor Ratcliffe:**

Barely even human!

**English Settlers:**

Savages! Savages!

**Governor Ratcliffe:**

Drive them from our shore!

They're not like you and me, which means they must be evil.

We must sound the drums of war!

**English Settlers:**

They're savages! Savages!

Dirty shrieking devils!

**Governor Ratcliffe and English Settlers:**

Now we sound the drums of war!

**Chief Powhatan:**

This is what we feared, the paleface is a demon.

The only thing they feel at all is greed...

**Kekata:**

Beneath that milky hide, there's emptiness inside...

**Native American Indians:**

I wonder if they even bleed...

They're savages! Savages!

**Powhatan and Native American Indians:**

Barely even human!

**Native American Indians:**

Savages! Savages!

**Powhatan:**

Killers at the core...

**Kekata**

They're different from us, which means they can't be trusted.

**Powhatan:**

We must sound the drums of war!

**Native American Indians:**

They're savages! Savages!

First we deal with this one, then we sound the drums of war!

**English Settlers:**

Savages! Savages!

**Ben:**

Let's go get a few, men!

**Native American Indians:**

Savages! Savages!

**Governor Ratcliffe:**

Now it's up to you, men!

**All:**

Savages! Savages! Barely even human! Now we sound the drums of war!

## Lyrics Part 1 (Soundtrack)

**Governor Ratcliffe:**

What can you expect from filthy little heathens?

Their whole disgusting race is like a curse!

Their skin's are hellish red, they're only good when dead.

They're vermin, as I said, and worse!

**English Settlers:**

They're savages! Savages!

**Governor Ratcliffe:**

Barely even human!

**English Settlers:**

Savages! Savages!

**Governor Ratcliffe:**

Drive them from our shore!

They're not like you and me, which means they must be evil

We must sound the drums of war!

**English Settlers:**

They're savages! Savages!

Dirty redskin devils!

**Governor Ratcliffe and English Settlers:**

Now we sound the drums of war!

**Chief Powhatan:**

This is what we feared, the paleface is a demon.

The only thing they feel at all is greed...

**Kekata:**

Beneath that milky hide, there's emptiness inside...

**Native American Indians:**

I wonder if they even bleed...

They're savages! Savages!

**Powhatan and Native American Indians:**

Barely even human!

**Native American Indians:**

Savages! Savages!

**Powhatan:**

Killers at the core...

**Kekata**

They're different from us, which means they can't be trusted.

**Powhatan:**

We must sound the drums of war!

**Native American Indians:**

They're savages! Savages!

First we deal with this one, then we sound the drums of war!

**English Settlers:**

Savages! Savages!

**Ben:**

Let's go kill a few, men!

**Native American Indians:**

Savages! Savages!

**Governor Ratcliffe:**

Now it's up to you, men!

**All:**

Savages! Savages! Barely even human! Now we sound the drums of war!

## Break Between

Pocahontas goes to see Grandmother Willow and tells her the news that John Smith would be killed at sunrise. Grandmother Willow tells her she must stop them and to remember her dream. She then becomes discouraged believing that she followed the wrong path, "I feel so lost." Percy sits at her side and whimpers. Meeko then brings her John Smith's compass. Turning it in her hands, she realizes it's the spinning arrow from her dream and it was pointing to John. She watches as it begins to spin and notices that sunrise is coming. Grandmother Willow encourages her, "It's not too late, child. Let the spirits of the earth guide you." The compass' arrow then stops and points towards the sunrise. Grandmother Willow sends Pocahontas on her way, "You know your path, child. Now follow it!"

## Lyrics (Reprise)

**Ratcliffe:**

This will be the day... (Let's go, men!)

**Powhatan:**

This will be the morning... (Bring out the prisoner!)

**Native American Indians:**

We will see them dying in the dust...

**Pocahontas:**

I don't know what I can do still, I know I've got to try

**Ratcliffe and English Settlers:**

Now we make them pay...

**Pocahontas:**

Eagle, help my feet to fly...

**Native American Indians:**

Now without a warning!

**Pocahontas:**

Mountain, help my heart be great...

**Native American Indians:**

Now we leave them blood and bone and rust

**Pocahontas:**

Spirits of the Earth and Sky...

**English Settlers and Native American Indians:**

It's them or us?

**Pocahontas:**

Please don't let it be too late...

**English Settlers and Native American Indians:**

They're just a bunch of filthy, stinking savages! Savages!

**Native American Indians:**

Demons!

**English Settlers:**

Devils!

**Ratcliffe:**

Kill them!

**Native American Indians:**

Savages!

**English Settlers:**

Savages!

**Ratcliffe and English Settlers:**

What are we waiting for?

**Ratcliffe, English Settlers, and Native American Indians:**

Destroy their evil race until there's not a trace left!

**Pocahontas:**

How loud are the drums of the war?

**Ratcliffe, English Settlers, and Native American Indians:**

We will sound the drums of war! Savages! Savages!

Now we sound the drums of war! Savages! Savages!

**Native American Indians:**

Now we sound the drums...

**English Settlers:**

Now we see what comes

Of trying to be chums

Of course it means the drums...

**Pocahontas:**

Is this the death of all I love carried in the drumming of...

**English Settlers and Native American Indians:**

Of...war!

## Videos

Song (Movie version)

Song (Soundtrack version)

## Trivia

* This song is a musical representation of the impact of fear: both the colonists and the Powhatan fear each other to the point where they are willing to go to war due to their fear of being attacked by the other side.
* The song shows how people will resort to violence when they are overcome by their fear.
* *Savages* is very similar to "The Mob Song" in *Beauty and the Beast*. The main villain exploits his men's fear of the unknown to get them on a pretended heroic fight, when actually they only want to satisfy themselves and their vices (Governor Ratcliffe's greed and Gaston's jealousy). In fact, both *Pocahontas* and the original animated *Beauty and the Beast* star David Ogden Stiers and were scored by Alan Menken.
* The Settlers having the first lines of this song symbolizes that they're the main cause of the conflict.
* This song has often been credited as one of Disney's darkest moments.
* In the film, Ratcliffe says the line: "Here's what you get when races are diverse!" However, in the soundtrack, he says "Their whole disgusting race is like a curse."
	+ Similarly, in the film, the settlers and Ratcliffe say "Dirty, shrieking devils." The soundtrack uses "Dirty redskin devils", possibly to be more racially sensitive, ironic for a song about racism sung by an explicit white supremist.