Old Indian song by Cher
Sherman Willden
in the 60s or 70s?
If so, was it as offensive to some as Cherokee Outlaw?
Sherman
Bob Marshall Org 6791 Bldg 561 x65737
> Did Cher have a song about the American Indian way of life
> in the 60s or 70s?
Yes, I believe it was called "Half-Breed". The girl in the song was
apparently half Cherokee. In fact, I think the line in Tim McGraw's song
that goes "Cherokee people, Cherokee nation" is actually a reference to
the same lyric in "Half-Breed".
I may be completely wrong about all of this. That was a long time ago (over
20 years, I think).
> If so, was it as offensive to some as Cherokee Outlaw?
I don't remember any particular controversy about this song. Maybe because
it was Cher singing it, and controversy coming from Cher was sort of passe.
--
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Sly Upah
> Sherman
I think the song you may be thinking of was "Half-breed".
It was about, if I recall correctly, not "fitting" into either culture.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sly Upah, ISU Comp Ctr Consultant, Student Developmt Grp Mgr, su...@iastate.edu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tokaara
mars...@skynet.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com (Bob Marshall Org 6791 Bldg 561 x65737)
writes:
>In fact, I think the line in Tim McGraw's song that goes "Cherokee people,
>Cherokee nation" is actually a reference to the same lyric in "Half-Breed".
I think the line is actually "Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe". It is a
reference to a lyric, but it's not from "Half-Breed". It's from some oldie (by
Paul Revere & the Raiders??).
I don't remember being particularly offended by Cher's song, but then again, I
wasn't really aware of such things when that song was out.
Lisa Luksus / tok...@aol.com
"It may be better to be a live jackal than a dead lion,
but it is better still to be a live lion. And usually easier."
- Lazarus Long
News Knower
red...@udvms.cc.davis.edu
she...@rmtc.Central.Sun.COM (Sherman Willden) writes...
Hey Sherm - Where y'all been the last few weeks? That ain't the name
of the dern song!!! After all the posts about it, t'would seem like ya
ought not have trouble gettin' the name right? How 'bout it? Since y'all
screwed up the name I'm assuming (and yep, I knows what assuming ken do to
a feller), anyway, I'm assuming y'alls just tryin' to steer up a little
trouble. Since, speakin' only fer myself a'course, I've seen more 'n
I care to about that song, I'm not gonna take yer post serious.
Adam Schneider
tok...@aol.com (Tokaara) writes:
>mars...@skynet.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com (Bob Marshall) writes:
>>In fact, I think the line in Tim McGraw's song that goes "Cherokee people,
>>Cherokee nation" is actually a reference to the same lyric in "Half-Breed".
>I think the line is actually "Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe". It is a
>reference to a lyric, but it's not from "Half-Breed". It's from some oldie (by
>Paul Revere & the Raiders??).
It is indeed Paul Revere & the Raiders. I believe the title of that song
was "Indian Reservation." 'Tis a VERY different kind of song from "Indian
Outlaw." The Raiders song includes lines like, "they took away our native
tongue, and taught their English to our young." It laments the loss of a
culture, rather than reinforcing stupid sterotypes, a la "Indian Outlaw."
I actually think it's an insult to the 60's song to have part of it included
in "Indian Outlaw."
Btw, were any of Paul Revere & the Raiders of Native American heritage?
Adam
==-=--=---=----=-----=-------=---------=---------=-------=-----=----=---=--=-==
Adam Schneider ind...@ucscb.ucsc.edu U.C. Santa Cruz
Mail me if you want guitar chords for Mary-Chapin Carpenter,
Indigo Girls, Suzanne Vega, Lucinda Williams, etc.
==-=--=---=----=-----=-------=---------=---------=-------=-----=----=---=--=-==
BZ
mars...@skynet.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com (Bob Marshall Org 6791 Bldg 561 x65737)
>In article <9404111713.AA07462@altair.test.mane>,
>she...@rmtc.Central.Sun.COM (Sherman Willden) writes:
>> Did Cher have a song about the American Indian way of life
>> in the 60s or 70s?
>
>Yes, I believe it was called "Half-Breed". The girl in the song was
>apparently half Cherokee. In fact, I think the line in Tim McGraw's song
>that goes "Cherokee people, Cherokee nation" is actually a reference to
>the same lyric in "Half-Breed".
>
Umm..I thought the song with "Cherokee people, Cherokee nation" in it
was done by Paul Revere (sp?) and the Raiders. I think someone else also
suggested that during the previous "discussion" of Tim's song.
And - could someone *please* post who "Cherokee People" was written by.
(I knew a guy who *said* he was 1/2 Cherokee, *said* wrote the song, and
*said* he played tenor sax with Paul Revere and the Raiders. I
never did quite believe all that - but would be curious to find out
whether or not I was a bit too skeptical!)
>I may be completely wrong about all of this. That was a long time ago (over
>20 years, I think).
>
>> If so, was it as offensive to some as Cherokee Outlaw?
>
>I don't remember any particular controversy about this song. Maybe because
>it was Cher singing it, and controversy coming from Cher was sort of passe.
>
I don't recall a controversy either - know the song but can't think of the
lyrics. For some reason it seems to me like Cher is part Native American
and that the song was written by her, or for her, or something.
-BZ
Bob Marshall Org 6791 Bldg 561 x65737
> In article <1994Apr11....@skynet.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com>,
> mars...@skynet.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com (Bob Marshall Org 6791 Bldg 561 x65737)
> writes:
>
>>In fact, I think the line in Tim McGraw's song that goes "Cherokee people,
>>Cherokee nation" is actually a reference to the same lyric in "Half-Breed".
>
> I think the line is actually "Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe". It is a
> reference to a lyric, but it's not from "Half-Breed". It's from some oldie (by
> Paul Revere & the Raiders??).
Bingo! Very good! Paul Revere and the Raiders did do a song called
"Indian Reservation", subtitled "The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation
Indian". In fact, it hit #1 on the pop charts in 1971 (this is *not* from
memory - I looked it up in a Billboard catalog :-)). I think you're right that
Tim McGraw is recalling a line from *that* song, not Cher's song, as I
had indicated.
Theodore A. Kaldis
> This article was probably generated by a buggy news reader.
Yeah, well, why don't you get a VAX wizard to track down the bug and
squish it before we all get bit again.
--
The views expressed herein are | Theodore A. Kaldis
my own only. Do you seriously | kal...@remus.rutgers.edu
believe that a major university | {...}!rutgers!remus.rutgers.edu!kaldis
would hold such views as these? |
Judy
Let's see.....I think it went something like
They took our whole Indian nation
and put us on this reservation
Took away our way of life
the tomahawk and the bowie knife
took away our native tongue
and taught their English to our young
and all the things we made by hand
are now-a-days made in Japan
Cherokee people
Cherokee tribe
So proud to live to live
So proud to die
[ more lyrics here - can't remember]
Though I wear a suit and tie
I'm still part redman deep inside.
Maybe someday when they learn
Cherokee Nation will return
will return
will return....
I probably got some of it out of order
and left some of it out, but you get the idea.
Judy
PS: My high school's mascot was the Cherokee,
so I _can_ play the above song on clarinet. ;-)
Michael Blackmore
> Did Cher have a song about the American Indian way of life
> in the 60s or 70s?
You mean the song "Half-breed".
> If so, was it as offensive to some as Cherokee Outlaw?
As I recall the song. It talked about her being mistreated because she was
a "half-breed". It was about bigotry and discrimination. To the best of my
knowledge it didn't comment on or characterize Native Americans in any way.
- Michael B.
mich...@ksgrsch.harvard.edu
Nicholas J. Kilen
>
>It is indeed Paul Revere & the Raiders. I believe the title of that song
>was "Indian Reservation." 'Tis a VERY different kind of song from "Indian
>Outlaw." The Raiders song includes lines like, "they took away our native
>tongue, and taught their English to our young." It laments the loss of a
>culture, rather than reinforcing stupid sterotypes, a la "Indian Outlaw."
>I actually think it's an insult to the 60's song to have part of it included
>in "Indian Outlaw."
>
stereotype that this song perpetuates, looking at the lyrics there's
nothing about laziness or drinking the two worst stereotypes about
indians.
Tony Payne
(if my memory serves me correctly - we are talking about 1972, give or take
a year).
Yeah, I sure liked that song, and I love the new one too.
My girl is going to make sure I learn some line dancing when I move, but
watching the video of Indian Outlaw and some of the moves they are doin'
kinda scares the pants off me !!!
--
Tony Payne /// Re-locating to South Bend, Indiana
at /// in early May. Messages will be
Analystic Limited /// redirected to my new node as soon
(London, England) /// as I get my new 486 up and running
