"Why Can't He Just Sing About Being WHITE?"

So, like I said the other day in class--I will never be able to read anything, or even watch another TV show, listen to another song without pondering its quality EVER again. This rings true in that I am a die hard country music fan. I absolutely LOVE Tim McGraw, he has great music [not to mention he isn't too bad on the eyes]. I was in the car yesterday on my way home from work and was jamming to "Indian Outlaw" when a thought came across my mind of "this song is terrible!" I thought, oh crap here I go judging everything again after TE 448. I'm never going to like this song again. I wish I would have discovered this when we were still talking about Native Americans, but I figure it's interesting and relevant. I will post a few of the lyrics before going more into my commentary on it.

I'm an Indian outlaw
Half Cherokee and Choctaw
My baby she's a Chippewa
She's one of a kind

All my friends call me Bear Claw
The Village Chieftain is my paw-paw
He gets his orders from my maw-maw
She makes him walk the line

You can find me in my wigwam
I'll be beatin' on my tom-tom
Pull out the pipe and smoke you some
Hey and pass it around

'Cause I'm an Indian outlaw
Half Cherokee and Choctaw
My baby she's a Chippewa
She's one of a kind

I ain't lookin' for trouble
We can ride my pony double
Make your little heart bubble
Lord like a glass of wine

I remember the medicine man
He caught runnin' water in my hands
Drug me around by my headband
Said I wasn't her kind

'Cause I'm an Indian outlaw
Half Cherokee and Choctaw
My baby she's a Chippewa
She's one of a kind

I can kill a deer or buffalo
With just my arrow and my hickory bow
From a hundred yard don't you know
I do it all the time

They all gather 'round my teepee
Late at night tryin' to catch a peek at me
In nothin' but my buffalo briefs
I got 'em standin' in line

'Cause I'm an Indian outlaw
Half Cherokee and Choctaw
My baby she's a Chippewa
She's one of a kind

Cherokee people
Cherokee tribe
So proud to live
So proud to die

_________________________________
Ok, I bolded the parts that I found particularly offensive, particularly from the articles we read for class that told us what "bad" stories consisted of. Now, I wonder if he is trying to depict a "real" scenario from the past, or of Indians now? He claims his father is a chief--typical! Also talks about a lot of the stereotypes of Indians: smoking "a pipe", living in a teepee, killing deer and buffalo all the time. Was this accurate at some point? I don't know, I'm not an "insider". However, I did find an "insider" view of this on a message board by doing a quick google search for the controversy dealing with this song. Here is the link I found the quote, "Well, my opinion is: If any one cares... I hate it. Why can't he sang about being WHITE? Just my opinion, no offense meant."--by "palefacehater" [hmm...?] Also, "Yeah that song is typical of older then dirt stereotypes about NDNs. So do I find the song offensive - somewhat. But do I think radio'll quit playing it - no"--by Singing Eagle.

So, now I've got an insider view on the things that I was fearing about the song--some radios, however, did threaten to take it off the air, according to this Wikipedia article.

Finally, on the Country Music Television website, I found a blurb about how the song was seen as controversial at the time it was released [1994]
"From the release of his second album Not a Moment Too Soon, Tim McGraw's rambunctious single "Indian Outlaw" made him a star in 1994. Written by John D. Loudermilk, some claimed the song degraded the accepted image of the American Indian. Despite controversy over the Native American stereotypes presented in the lyrics, "Indian Outlaw" reached No. 8 on the country charts and No. 15 on the pop charts. Controversy rarely hurts sales, and the recording -- with its war dance and rhythmic drum beat --quickly gave McGraw his first No. 1 country album. "


So, this class has forced my brain to think of everything in this analytical way. I haven't decided yet if this is a good thing. I do think that it will be a positive thing for my classroom someday, but I hope it doesn't cause me to dislike some of my favorite things [books, TV shows, and songs]!
Sorry for the long post, I just felt like I needed to put it out there.