Streams
Verwandte Songs (related songs)
Song «The Ballad Of Ira Hayes» von Johnny Cash.
Fakten
Veröffentlichungsdaten: 1964 06 (Single), 1964 10 01 (Album)
Label: Columbia 4-43058, Columbia CS 9048
Songwriter Peter La Farge
Produktion: Frank Jones & Don Law
Genre: Americana - Nativemusic, Country - Autorencountry - Songster
Annotationen
Diese Folk-Ballade erzählt die Geschichte von Ira Hayes, der ein Angehöriger des Stammes der Pema war, die von den Amerikanern zwangsumgesiedelt wurden. Statt die Faust im Sack zu ballen, ging er für Amerika als Marine in den zweiten Weltkrieg und gehörte zu den Soldaten, die Fahne von Iwo Jima hissten – das ist eine oft reproduzierte und daher ikonische Siegesszene für die USA. Gestorben ist Ira Hayes, der Kriegsheld nicht einmal 32 Jahre alt als ein vom Alkohol und von Haftstrafen gebrochener Mann
Personen und Querverweise
Johnny Cash
Peter La Farge
Frank Jones
Don Law
Lyrics
[Intro] Ira Hayes Ira Hayes [Chorus] Call him drunken Ira Hayes He won't answer anymore Not the whiskey drinking Indian Nor the Marine that went to war [Verse 1] Gather round me people there's a story I would tell About a brave young Indian you should remember well From the land of the Pima Indian A proud and noble band Who farmed the Phoenix valley in Arizona land Down the ditches for a thousand years The water grew Ira's peoples' crops Until the white man stole the water rights And the sparkling water stopped Now Ira's folks were hungry And their land grew crops of weeds When war came, Ira volunteered And forgot the white man's greed [Chorus] Call him drunken Ira Hayes He won't answer anymore Not the whiskey drinking Indian Nor the Marine that went to war [Bridge] There they battled up Iwo Jima's hill Two hundred and fifty men But only twenty-seven lived to walk back down again [Verse 2] And when the fight was over And when Old Glory raised Among the men who held it high Was the Indian, Ira Hayes [Chorus] Call him drunken Ira Hayes He won't answer anymore Not the whiskey drinking Indian Nor the Marine that went to war [Bridge] Ira returned a hero Celebrated through the land He was wined and speeched and honored Everybody shook his hand [Verse 3] But he was just a Pima Indian No water, no home, no chance At home nobody cared what Ira'd done And when the Indians dance [Chorus] Call him drunken Ira Hayes He won't answer anymore Not the whiskey drinking Indian Nor the Marine that went to war [Verse 4] Then Ira started drinking hard Jail was often his home They'd let him raise the flag and lower it Like you'd throw a dog a bone! He died drunk one morning Alone in the land he fought to save Two inches of water in a lonely ditch Was a grave for Ira Hayes [Chorus] Call him drunken Ira Hayes He won't answer anymore Not the whiskey drinking Indian Nor the Marine that went to war [Verse 5] Yeah, call him drunken Ira Hayes But his land is just as dry And his ghost is lying thirsty In the ditch where Ira died