The evolution of "The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian (Indian Reservation)"
It began with a songwriter of course:
John D. Loudermilk - 1960-1963
Nashville Songwriters Foundation
The man wrote a lot of notable songs including:
"Tobacco Road"
"Talk Back Trembling Lips"
"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye"
"The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian (Indian Reservation)"
"Abilene"
"Windy and Warm"
...so the first version was by Marvin Rainwater
THE PALE FACED INDIAN
w & m by John D Loudermilk
©1960 Cedarwood Publ Co
(spoken)
They took away the whole Cherokee nation
And put us on this reservation.
(sung)
They took away our way of life
Our tomahawk and huntin' knife
And the old teepee we all loved so
They're using now just for a show
They put our papoose in a crib
and took the buck skin from our rib
And they took away our native tongue
and taught their English to our young
Hiya, hiya, ho! Hiya hi, hiya ho!
Hiya, hiya, Hiya ho!
Altho' they changed our ways of old
They'll never change our heart and soul
And tho' I wear a white man's tie
I'll be a red man till I die
All the beads we made by hand
are nowadays made in Japan
(source Country Hall of Fame No4 John D Loudermilk)
The Pale Faced Indian (Lament Of The Cherokee Nation) - Marvin Rainwater - 1960 - YouTube
Some lyrics were altered and it was covered by an Englishman named Don Fardon
LAMENT OF THE CHEROKEE RESERVATION INDIAN
a.k.a. INDIAN RESERVATION
w& m by John D. Loudermilk
©1963-1967-1971 Acuff-Rose Publ Inc.
They took the whole Cherokee Nation
Put us on this reservation
Took away our way of life
Tomahawk and the bow and knife
They took away our native tongue
Taught their English to our young
And all our beads we made by hand
Are nowadays made in Japan
Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe
So proud you lived, so proud you died
They took the whole Indian Nation
Put us on this reservation
Big built houses by the score
Won't need teepees anymore
Although they've changed our ways of old
They'll never change our hearts and souls
And someday, when the world has learned
Cherokee Indian will return
Don Fardon - Indian Reservation (HQ) - YouTube
then altered a bit more and recorded famously by the pop/rock group The Raiders with Mark Lindsay on lead vocal:
They took the whole Cherokee Nation
Put us on this reservation
Took away our ways of life
The tomahawk and the bow and knife
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
Locked us on this reservation
Though I wear a shirt and tie
I'm still part red man deep inside
Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe
So proud to live, so proud to die
But maybe someday when they've learned
Cherokee Nation will return
Will return, will return, will return
Will return
Paul Revere & The Raiders - Indian Reservation - YouTube
It began with a songwriter of course:
John D. Loudermilk - 1960-1963
Nashville Songwriters Foundation
The man wrote a lot of notable songs including:
"Tobacco Road"
"Talk Back Trembling Lips"
"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye"
"The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian (Indian Reservation)"
"Abilene"
"Windy and Warm"
...so the first version was by Marvin Rainwater
THE PALE FACED INDIAN
w & m by John D Loudermilk
©1960 Cedarwood Publ Co
(spoken)
They took away the whole Cherokee nation
And put us on this reservation.
(sung)
They took away our way of life
Our tomahawk and huntin' knife
And the old teepee we all loved so
They're using now just for a show
They put our papoose in a crib
and took the buck skin from our rib
And they took away our native tongue
and taught their English to our young
Hiya, hiya, ho! Hiya hi, hiya ho!
Hiya, hiya, Hiya ho!
Altho' they changed our ways of old
They'll never change our heart and soul
And tho' I wear a white man's tie
I'll be a red man till I die
All the beads we made by hand
are nowadays made in Japan
(source Country Hall of Fame No4 John D Loudermilk)
The Pale Faced Indian (Lament Of The Cherokee Nation) - Marvin Rainwater - 1960 - YouTube
Some lyrics were altered and it was covered by an Englishman named Don Fardon
LAMENT OF THE CHEROKEE RESERVATION INDIAN
a.k.a. INDIAN RESERVATION
w& m by John D. Loudermilk
©1963-1967-1971 Acuff-Rose Publ Inc.
They took the whole Cherokee Nation
Put us on this reservation
Took away our way of life
Tomahawk and the bow and knife
They took away our native tongue
Taught their English to our young
And all our beads we made by hand
Are nowadays made in Japan
Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe
So proud you lived, so proud you died
They took the whole Indian Nation
Put us on this reservation
Big built houses by the score
Won't need teepees anymore
Although they've changed our ways of old
They'll never change our hearts and souls
And someday, when the world has learned
Cherokee Indian will return
Don Fardon - Indian Reservation (HQ) - YouTube
then altered a bit more and recorded famously by the pop/rock group The Raiders with Mark Lindsay on lead vocal:
They took the whole Cherokee Nation
Put us on this reservation
Took away our ways of life
The tomahawk and the bow and knife
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
Locked us on this reservation
Though I wear a shirt and tie
I'm still part red man deep inside
Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe
So proud to live, so proud to die
But maybe someday when they've learned
Cherokee Nation will return
Will return, will return, will return
Will return
Paul Revere & The Raiders - Indian Reservation - YouTube