Comments on: Songs about mixing

By: Melissa Olson

Melissa Olson — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 02:21:01 +0000

Um. I think Cher’s song is a classic case of American’s “playing Indian”. Why? The signifying headress is a stereotypical represenation of “Indian-ness”. I really think she just wanted the feathers and beadwork. And I would agree the lyric of the song are tragic. I don’t think however that Cher is Cherokee. “My great-grandmother was a Cherokee Indian” is another often repeated

By: MB

MB — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 04:52:08 +0000

Since when does Cher’s song have to be autobiographical? Many songwriters write songs about people they know or have met.

By: Marsha

Marsha — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 20:44:14 +0000

It is true that Cher is of a Native American background. Her mom is 1/8th Cherokee. However, Cher’s mom looks as white and blonde as any other blond and white person. From what I saw of Cher’s mom on VH-1’s “Behind the Music”, she did not look like she was tuned in at all to her Native American heritage. (But, heck, I could be wrong!)

Cher gets her darker features from her Armenian dad. Cher’s real name is Cherilyn Sarkisian

Therefore, I seriously doubt that Cher knows what it is like to be a “half-breed” Native American/white person. I think that’s the problem that some people have with Cher singing the song “Half-Breed”

By: CD

CD — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 23:48:32 +0000

Cher is of Native backround

By: Marsha

Marsha — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 20:49:07 +0000

I’ve always hated this song off of Live’s first album just because it seems to drag out all the tired cliches and seems to simplify race relations:

“The Beauty Of Gray”

If I told you he was your brother
We could reminisce
Then you would go about your day
If I said you ought to give him some of your water
You’d shake your canteen and walk away

The perception that divides you from him
Is a lie
For some reason you never asked why
This is not a black and white world
You can’t afford to believe in your side

This is not a black and white world
To be alive
I say that the colours must swirl
And I believe
That maybe today
We will all get to appreciate

The Beauty of Grey

If I told you she was your mother
We could analyze the situation and be gone
If I said you ought to give her
Some of your water
Your eyes would light up like the dawn
The perception that divides you from her
Is a lie
For some reason we never asked why
This is not a black and white world
You can’t afford to believe in your side

This is not a black and white world
To be alive
I say the colors must swirl
And I believe
That maybe today
We will all get to appreciate

The beauty of gray

Look into your eyes
No daylight
New day now

By: mtevc

mtevc — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 20:43:14 +0000

tha half caste reference in the article is pretty awful…just about as bad as the folks who use “mulatto” on the mulatto.org site…geez…find a new term, and not one with such negative connotations

By: Annette Pratt

Annette Pratt — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 20:59:29 +0000

There’s the song Embarrassment from the British group Madness.

Madness’ Embarrassment
Received a letter just the other day
don’t seem they wanna know you no more
they’ve laid it down given you their score
within the first two lines it bluntly read

You’re not to come see us no more
keep away from our door
don’t come round here no more
what on earth did you do that for?

Our Aunt she don’t wanna know she says
what will the neighbours think they’ll think
we don’t that’s what they’ll think we don’t
but I will ‘cos I know they think I don’t

Our uncle he don’t wanna know
he says we are a disgrace to the human race
he says how can you show your face
when you’re a disgrace to the human race

They’ve made a commitment you’re an embarrassment
yes an embarrassment a living endorsement
the intention that you have booked
was an intention that was overlooked

They say stay away
don’t want you home today
keep away from our door
don’t come around here no more

Our Dad he don’t wanna know he says
this is a serious matter
too late to reconsider
no one’s gonna wanna know ya

Our Mum she don’t wanna know she says
I’m feeling twice as old she says
thought she had her head on her shoulders
‘cos I’m feeling twice as older
I’m feeling twice as older

You’re an embarrassment

Here’s the link to the recent BBC article about the song.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4465666.stm

By: daddy in a strange land

daddy in a strange land — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 16:38:19 +0000

Just checked out the singers’ section on MixedFolks.com, there are lyrics to “SocioGenetic Experiment” under Michael Franti’s entry. Also found an entry for Amanda Marshall (! had no idea) and lyrics for her song “Shades of Grey” (autobiographical, about her parents) there.

By: daddy in a strange land

daddy in a strange land — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 14:58:54 +0000

There’s “SocioGenetic Experiment” by biracial peace activist/Spearhead frontman Michael Franti’s old group Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy.

(And I don’t know if anyone’s already written about it in the copious comments on “Black. White.” here, but I swear I hear something about a “zebra” as the music fades out under the main titles of the show, as they’re using a snippet of Ice Cube’s “Race Card” as the show’s theme song.)

And my favorite line of all time, from Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier”:
“If you know your history, then you would know where you’re coming from/
Then you wouldn’t have to ask me who the hell do I think I am.”
In the context of knowing Marley was biracial, I’ve always regarded that line as a personal motto of sorts.