As a child, I was completely raised on my parents’ music. I am a 1970s child at heart, I swear. So, much to my older brother’s chagrin, I would go around and sing this one song practically on repeat from my parents’ Gold 1960s CD: “Indian Reservation” by Paul Revere and the Raiders. It’s got extremely catchy lyrics and I loved it.
Since starting up this class, I’ve been pondering over that song. Listed below are the lyrics I personally know. However, the further I dug about this song, the more I became curious. I wanted to know if this was yet another racist portrayal of a forgotten people or if it was genuinely supposed to be in support of the Cherokee tribe. The original writer was John Loudermilk, who is not Native American, according to my research. The one reply I found on an ask.com question (which seems legitimate, however, this seemed to be a difficult topic to research) said that the original singer was Marvin Rainwater, who is indeed Cherokee. The song at that point had different lyrics than the one I know and was titled “Pale Faced Indian.”
Then a British guy came around, named Don Fardon, who made quite a name for himself with this song. Also doesn’t seem to be Native American in any way. (Who knows? I was giving him the benefit of the doubt and maybe had some heritage in it. Nope.)
Then according to one site I found, one of the members of Paul Revere and the Raiders was part Native American, although it does not specify if he really was Cherokee.
And all of this hullabaloo began with the notion on American Top 40 back in the day that Loudermilk was kidnapped after a car accident by Cherokee tribesmen who wouldn’t let him leave until he promised to write a song about their struggles. Of course, this wasn’t true.
However, doesn’t this seem the opposite of the point? The rumor he spreads intimates that these Cherokee people are abusive and kidnap a guy just because they can. But then he creates a song that’s supposed to enliven the Cherokee people and given them something to strive for.
I still don’t know what to make of this song.
Lyrics to the Paul Revere and the Raiders version:
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
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
Youtube Link to Song by Paul Revere and the Raiders:
Youtube Link to Song by Don Fardon:
Youtube Link to Song by John Laudermilk:
Youtube Link to Song sung by Marvin Rainwater:
Wikipedia Link about the Band:
Information Link:
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