Track ID-"Cherokee People"

Kind of Like Steely Dan?!!!

At least, I think so. I heard it over a PA system in an LA gift shop about five years ago, so my memory's quite foggy. Don't ask.

Copied from some website I didn't even look at hardly:

Indian Reservation
(Paul Revere and the Raiders)

They took the whole Cherokee Nation
And put us on this reservation
Took away our ways of life
The tomahawk and the bow and knife

They took away our native tongue
And taught their English to our young
And all the beads we made by hand
Are nowadays made in Japan

Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe
So proud to live, so proud to die

They took the whole Indian Nation
And locked us on this reservation
And though I wear a shirt and tie
I’m still a red man deep inside

Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe
So proud to live, so proud to die

But maybe someday when they learn
Cherokee Nation will return
Will return
Will return
Will return
Will return

Wow.

'Zactly.
And, just for compare/contrast purposes:

Half Breed
(Cher)

My father married a pure Cherokee
My mother's people were ashamed of me
The indians said I was white by law
The White Man always called me "Indian Squaw"

[CHORUS:]
Half-breed, that's all I ever heard
Half-breed, how I learned to hate the word
Half-breed, she's no good they warned
Both sides were against me since the day I was born

We never settled, went from town to town
When you're not welcome you don't hang around
The other children always laughed at me
"Give her a feather, she's a Cherokee"

[Repeat Chorus]

We weren't accepted and I felt ashamed
Nineteen I left them, tell me who's to blame
My life since then has been from man to man
But I can't run away from what I am

[Repeat chorus]

"Indian Reservation" is by Paul Revere and the Raiders.

British Punk Band 999 (of "Emergency" fame) did a great cover of this......as did Cher, if I'm not mistaken.

"Half-Breed" was #1 the day I was born

A couple weeks ago I was at the Hole in the Wall, and the dj played both those tracks back to back! I thought it was an amusing segue.

A few months before the Raiders took it to the top, the original "Indian Reservation" was a fair-sized hit for Don Fardon, a real Cherokee.

At first, I had to chuckle that you mistook the Raiders for Steely Dan, but I guess, for the harmonies that chorus, it's not so farfetched afterall.

I've thought for years that Shellac should cover "Indian Reservation." Would be amusing the first time, anyways.

I would just like to say that the early Paul Revere & The Raiders albums are waaaay waaay better than that late-period hit. Check out "Greatest Hits," "Just Like Us!" or "The Spirit of '67."

i don't think don fardon was a real cherokee. i believe he was an english dude. i think the raiders version came 1st too but i'm not sure.

God, you're right about Fardon being English. I don't know who I had him mixed up with. His version charted in 1968 in the US, 1969 in the UK; the Raiders charted in 1971.

Drink your big black cow.

I was disappointed this wasn't about the Europe song (they didn't sound a thing like Steely Dan though so I knew it wasn't them). I'm gonna post the lyrics anyway (mostly cuz they are written by a Scandinavian hair metal band and they are really funny, too.)

Cherokee

They lived in peace, not long ago
a mighty indian tribe
but the winds of change,
made them realize, that the promises were lies
The white man's greed, in search of gold
made the nation bleed
they lost their faith
and now they had to learn
there was no place to return
nowhere they could turn.
Cherokee -- marching on the trail of tears
They were driven hard, across the plains
and walked for many moons
cause the winds of change
had made them realize, that the promises were lies.
So much to bear, all that pain
left them in despair
they lost their faith
and now they had to learn
there was no place to return
nowhere they could turn
Cherokee -- marching on the trail of tears

[i]...must refrain...from mentioning...Final...Countd*[/i]

Thanks Curt and dz for the info.