Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian
Encyclopedia
Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian is a concept album
and nineteenth album released by country
singer Johnny Cash
in 1964
on Columbia Records
. It is one of several Americana
records by Cash; as its title implies, the tracks on the album focus exclusively on the history of and problems facing Native Americans
in the United States
. Cash had been convinced that his ancestry included members of the Cherokee
tribe, and this partly served as inspiration for recording Bitter Tears, but later on as he began researching his ancestry, he actually had no Cherokee ancestry, but Scottish, English, and Scots-Irish ancestry. Throughout the album, Cash concentrates on the harsh and unfair treatment of the indigenous peoples of North America
.
The songs were written in part by Cash himself and in part by Peter La Farge
, with the final track credited to Cash and Johnny Horton
. The first song, "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow", concerns the loss of Seneca nation
land in Pennsylvania due to the construction of the Kinzua Dam
in the early 1960s. Cash rerecorded it decades later and released it on Unearthed with the lyrics altered to describe his relationship with and devotion to June Carter Cash
; the track itself was a duet with the latter. The one single from Bitter Tears that was released was "The Ballad of Ira Hayes
", which reached No. 3 on the Country charts; the song tells the story of Ira Hayes
, a young Marine of Native American descent who participated in the flag raising on
Iwo Jima
and became an instant celebrity, only to die drunk and in poverty on the Gila River Reservation
where he was born.
Singles - Billboard (North America)
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
and nineteenth album released by country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
in 1964
1964 in music
-Events:*January 1 – Top of the Pops is broadcast for the first time, on BBC television.*January 3 – Footage of the Beatles performing a concert in Bournemouth, England is shown on The Jack Paar Show....
on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. It is one of several Americana
Americana
Americana refers to artifacts, or a collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects,...
records by Cash; as its title implies, the tracks on the album focus exclusively on the history of and problems facing Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Cash had been convinced that his ancestry included members of the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
tribe, and this partly served as inspiration for recording Bitter Tears, but later on as he began researching his ancestry, he actually had no Cherokee ancestry, but Scottish, English, and Scots-Irish ancestry. Throughout the album, Cash concentrates on the harsh and unfair treatment of the indigenous peoples of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The songs were written in part by Cash himself and in part by Peter La Farge
Peter La Farge
Peter La Farge was a New York-based folksinger and songwriter of the 1950s and 1960s...
, with the final track credited to Cash and Johnny Horton
Johnny Horton
John Gale "Johnny" Horton was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
. The first song, "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow", concerns the loss of Seneca nation
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
land in Pennsylvania due to the construction of the Kinzua Dam
Kinzua Dam
The Kinzua Dam, in the Allegheny National Forest in Warren County, Pennsylvania, is one of the largest dams in the United States east of the Mississippi River....
in the early 1960s. Cash rerecorded it decades later and released it on Unearthed with the lyrics altered to describe his relationship with and devotion to June Carter Cash
June Carter Cash
Valerie June Carter Cash was an American singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, comedienne and author who was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash...
; the track itself was a duet with the latter. The one single from Bitter Tears that was released was "The Ballad of Ira Hayes
The Ballad of Ira Hayes
"The Ballad of Ira Hayes" was written by folk singer Peter La Farge. It tells the story of Ira Hayes, one of the five Marines and one Navy Corpsman who became famous for having raised the flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima of World War II....
", which reached No. 3 on the Country charts; the song tells the story of Ira Hayes
Ira Hayes
Ira Hamilton Hayes was a Pima Native American and an American Marine who was one of the six men immortalized in the iconic photograph of the flag raising on Iwo Jima during World War II. Hayes was an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community in Sacaton, Arizona, and enlisted in the Marine...
, a young Marine of Native American descent who participated in the flag raising on
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is a historic photograph taken on February 23, 1945, by Joe Rosenthal. It depicts five United States Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.The photograph was extremely...
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
and became an instant celebrity, only to die drunk and in poverty on the Gila River Reservation
Gila River Indian Community
The Gila River Indian Community is an Indian reservation in the U.S. state of Arizona, lying adjacent to the south side of the city of Phoenix, within the Phoenix Metropolitan Area in Pinal and Maricopa Counties. It was established in 1859, and formally established by Congress in 1939...
where he was born.
Track listing
- "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow" (Peter La FargePeter La FargePeter La Farge was a New York-based folksinger and songwriter of the 1950s and 1960s...
) – 6:10 - "Apache Tears" (Cash) – 2:34
- "Custer" (La Farge) – 2:20
- "The Talking Leaves" (Cash) – 3:55
- "The Ballad of Ira HayesThe Ballad of Ira Hayes"The Ballad of Ira Hayes" was written by folk singer Peter La Farge. It tells the story of Ira Hayes, one of the five Marines and one Navy Corpsman who became famous for having raised the flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima of World War II....
" (La Farge) – 4:07 - "Drums" (La Farge) – 5:04
- "White Girl" (La Farge) – 3:01
- "The Vanishing Race" (Cash, Johnny HortonJohnny HortonJohn Gale "Johnny" Horton was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
) – 4:02
Personnel
- Johnny Cash - Vocals, Guitar
- Luther PerkinsLuther PerkinsLuther Monroe Perkins was an American country music guitarist and a member of the Tennessee Three, the backup band for singer Johnny Cash. Perkins was an iconic figure in what would become known as rockabilly music...
, Norman BlakeNorman Blake (American musician)Norman Blake is an instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter. In a career spanning more than 50 years Blake has played in a number of folk and Country groups...
, Bob JohnsonBob JohnsonBob Johnson may refer to:*Robert L. Johnson , founder of Black Entertainment Television*Bob Johnson , English guitarist*Bob Johnson *Dr. Bob Johnson aka Robert J. Johnson, U.S...
- Guitar - Marshall GrantMarshall GrantMarshall Garnett Grant was the upright bassist and electric bassist of singer Johnny Cash's original backing duo, the Tennessee Two, in which Grant and electric guitarist Luther Perkins played. The group became known as The Tennessee Three in 1960, with the addition of drummer W. S. Holland...
- Bass - W.S. Holland - Drums
- The Carter Family - Vocal Accompaniment
Additional Personnel
- Produced by: Don Law and Frank Jones
- Cover Photo: Bob Cato
- Reissue Producer: Bob Irwin
- Digitally Mastered by: Vic Anesini, Sony Music Studios, NY
- Liner Notes: Hugh Cherry
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Country Albums | 2 |
| 1964 | Pop Albums | 47 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" | Country Singles | 3 |