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Half-Breed (song)
Encyclopedia
"Half-Breed" is a song recorded by Cher
and released as a single in 1973. On October 6, 1973, it became Cher's second U.S.
number one hit as a solo artist, similarly becoming her second solo single to hit the top spot in Canada
on the same date.
. The song tells the story of a young woman who is half white
and half Cherokee
. The song describes the troubles she faced, and the racism she experienced. White people often called her "Indian squaw
" and the Native Americans
never accepted her as one of their own, telling her that she was "white by law." Cher herself is part Cherokee, but less than half.
In 1973, "Half-Breed" topped the United States Billboard Hot 100
for two weeks, becoming Cher's second number one hit and second Gold single. The song was a number one hit in Canada
, a Top 10 hit in Sweden
, and a Top 20 hit in Norway
. In Germany
and the United Kingdom
, the song did not chart.
. In 2002, she performed the song 325 times in her Living Proof: The Farewell Tour
.
Cher performed the song on the following concert tours:
in 1973. Cher is on a horse while singing in front of a white screen. Props symbolizing Native American objects were used, such as wood carvings, fire and costumes.
. The medley contains the videos of "All I Really Want to Do", "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady
".
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
and released as a single in 1973. On October 6, 1973, it became Cher's second U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
number one hit as a solo artist, similarly becoming her second solo single to hit the top spot in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on the same date.
Song information and story
The single was the first international release from Cher's album Half-BreedHalf-Breed (album)
Half-Breed is the tenth studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released on October 27, 1973 by MCA. For the production of the album Cher returned with Snuff Garrett and Al Capps. Half-Breed was the second record for MCA and also promoted on her successful "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" show...
. The song tells the story of a young woman who is half white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
and half 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...
. The song describes the troubles she faced, and the racism she experienced. White people often called her "Indian squaw
Squaw
Squaw is an English language loan-word, used as a noun or adjective, whose present meaning is an indigenous woman of North America. It is derived from the eastern Algonquian morpheme meaning 'woman' that appears in numerous Algonquian languages variously spelled squa, skwa, esqua, sqeh, skwe, que,...
" and the 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...
never accepted her as one of their own, telling her that she was "white by law." Cher herself is part Cherokee, but less than half.
In 1973, "Half-Breed" topped the United States Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
for two weeks, becoming Cher's second number one hit and second Gold single. The song was a number one hit in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, a Top 10 hit in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and a Top 20 hit in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. In Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the song did not chart.
Live performances
In 1999, after almost 25 years of not performing the song live, Cher performed this song in her Do You Believe? TourDo You Believe? Tour
The Do You Believe? Tour, sometimes also known as The Believe Tour, was Cher’s third solo concert tour. The tour which took place in 1999 and 2000, was used to promote her album Believe.-History:...
. In 2002, she performed the song 325 times in her Living Proof: The Farewell Tour
Living Proof: The Farewell Tour
Living Proof: The Farewell Tour is the seventh concert tour by American singer, Cher. The tour supported her twenty-fourth studio album, Living Proof and eleventh compilation album, The Very Best of Cher...
.
Cher performed the song on the following concert tours:
- Do You Believe? TourDo You Believe? TourThe Do You Believe? Tour, sometimes also known as The Believe Tour, was Cher’s third solo concert tour. The tour which took place in 1999 and 2000, was used to promote her album Believe.-History:...
(performed as part of the Hits Medley) - The Farewell TourLiving Proof: The Farewell TourLiving Proof: The Farewell Tour is the seventh concert tour by American singer, Cher. The tour supported her twenty-fourth studio album, Living Proof and eleventh compilation album, The Very Best of Cher...
(2002–2005) (performed as part of the Hits Medley) - Cher at the ColosseumCher at the Colosseum'Cher at the Colosseum was a series of concerts by Cher at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the three years engagement, Cher received $180 million. Performing at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the first show occurred on May 6, 2008 and the last show was on February 5, 2011...
Music video
The video for "Half-Breed" is a recorded performance of the song on The Sonny & Cher Comedy HourThe Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour is an American variety show based on the married couple of American pop-singer Cher and her husband, Sonny Bono. The show ran on CBS in the United States, when it premiered in August 1971...
in 1973. Cher is on a horse while singing in front of a white screen. Props symbolizing Native American objects were used, such as wood carvings, fire and costumes.
Remix version
In 2002, a special remix medley was created by Dan-O-Rama for a video montage that was used in Cher's Living Proof: The Farewell TourLiving Proof: The Farewell Tour
Living Proof: The Farewell Tour is the seventh concert tour by American singer, Cher. The tour supported her twenty-fourth studio album, Living Proof and eleventh compilation album, The Very Best of Cher...
. The medley contains the videos of "All I Really Want to Do", "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady
Dark Lady (song)
"Dark Lady" is an pop rock song recorded by American singer actress Cher from eleventh studio album, Dark Lady. Produced by Snuff Garrett, it was released as the album's first single in early 1974. The song became Cher's third solo U.S...
".
In film
- The song appeared in the 2005 film Lords of DogtownLords of DogtownLords of Dogtown is a 2005 biographical film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, written by Stacy Peralta. The film is based on the story of "The Z-Boys", an influential group of skateboarders who revolutionized the sport...
.
- An African-American female impersonator performs the song onstage in the 1999 film FlawlessFlawlessFlawless is a 1999 crime comedy-drama film that stars Robert De Niro and Philip Seymour Hoffman.Flawless was directed by Joel Schumacher, who also wrote the screenplay...
.
Covers
- Swedish singers Björn SkifsBjörn SkifsBjörn Nils Olof Skifs is a Swedish singer, songwriter, actor, and screenwriter.Björn Skifs formed his first musical group Slam Creepers’ in 1963. Slam Creepers’ split in 1969 and Skifs went on to form a new band, Blåblus, in 1972. As Blue Swede, the band had a #1 hit on Billboard Hot 100 in 1974...
& Blåblus made one of the first covers in 1973. It was featured on their album Pinewood Rally. - Orchestra leader Ray ConniffRay ConniffJoseph Raymond Conniff was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s.-Biography:...
recorded the song with his singers in November 1973. It remained unissued until 2009 when it appeared on Ray Conniff: The Singles Collection, Volume 3. - In 1990 the song was covered by Shania TwainShania TwainShania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...
but it was not released until 2001 on her album The Complete Limelight SessionsThe Complete Limelight Sessions-Charts:...
. - The song was covered by alternative rockAlternative rockAlternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band House of Large SizesHouse of Large SizesHouse of Large Sizes was an alternative rock band from Cedar Falls, Iowa, in the United States. They were made up of Dave Deibler, Barb Schlif and a number of different drummers, over the years. They released their first recordings in 1987 and officially broke up December 20, 2003. Deibler and...
. - Electronica artist PeachesPeaches (musician)Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
covered the song for youth radio station Triple JTriple Jtriple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
's "Like a VersionLike A VersionLike a Version is a segment on the Australian radio station Triple J. It was created by Mel Bampton as part of the Mel in the Morning program. Currently the segment pops up whenever artists are available and willing to do it, though mainly on the Breakfast show...
" segment. - RuPaulRuPaulRuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
covered "Half-Breed" on The RuPaul ShowThe RuPaul ShowThe RuPaul Show is an American talk/variety show that premiered on VH1 in 1996. Hosted by drag performer, RuPaul, the show had many famous musical guests and was notable as being one of the first national television programs in the United States hosted by an openly gay host...
.
Charts
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Billboard charts The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine... Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
3 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 1 |
| German Singles Chart | 29 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 12 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 6 |