Peak
1
Weeks
20
Score
3,928
Chart Year
1973
The video for "Half-Breed" is a recorded performance of the song on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour in 1973, with stereotypical, "Hollywood Indian" imagery. Cher is on a horse, wearing a Bob Mackie imitation of an assortment of men's regalia: Plains-style warbonnet, a halter top modeled after a hair pipe breastplate, and a glittery loincloth.[4] None of these things have ever been part of Cherokee clothing or regalia. Symbols the showrunners believed represented Native Americans—flames surrounding Pacific Northwestern totem poles, also not part of Cherokee culture—are also used as props.[4] Cher has been criticized for cultural appropriation by Native American activists for the song and continuing to wear this type of costume in her live performances, or for having her dancers wear it, as recently as 2017.[4][9][10] In a 2017 twitter exchange, Cher said she would no longer perform the song or wear the costume.[9][11][12] However in 2018 she continued to perform the song at her shows in Vegas and then on part of her Here We Go Again Tour, as part of a medley with "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" and "Dark Lady" with dancers wearing the costumes
The music video aired as part of The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. Cher is decked out in a sexy Native American-themed costume, including a feathered headdress, and sings the tune from atop a horse. In 2017, former Pussycat Dolls member Kaya Jones adopted this as an anthem after she joined the National Diversity Coalition for Trump as their Native American Ambassador - with questionable claims of Apache heritage. Critics took aim at Jones and, in turn, Cher's song for cultural appropriation. The singer lashed out on Twitter in defense of the tune, which she still performs live in full regalia. Shania Twain, whose stepfather is an Ojibwe Native American, recorded this in 1990. It was included on her 2001 album, The Complete Limelight Sessions. This was used in the movies Flawless (1999) and Lords Of Dogtown (2005). It also showed up on the sitcom The New Normal when Shania Clemmons (Bebe Wood) sang it as part of a school presentation in the 2012 episode "The XY Factor." RuPaul sang this on his VH1 talk show, The RuPaul Show.
My father married a pure Cherokee My mother's people were ashamed of me The Indians said I was white by law The white man always called me "Indian Squaw" [Chorus] Half-breed, that's all I ever heard Half-breed, how I learned to hate the word Half-breed, she's no good they warned Both sides were against me Since the day I was born We never settled, went from town to town When you're not welcome you don't hang around The other children always laughed at me "Give her a feather, she's a Cherokee" [Chorus] We weren't accepted and I felt ashamed Nineteen I left them, tell me who's to blame My life since then has been from man to man But I can't run away from what I am [Chorus]
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 4, 1973 | 89 | 37 |
| 2 | Aug 11, 1973 | 86 | 40 |
| 3 | Aug 18, 1973 | 66 | 60 |
| 4 | Aug 25, 1973 | 54 | 72 |
| 5 | Sep 1, 1973 | 33 | 93 |
| 6 | Sep 8, 1973 | 22 | 104 |
| 7 | Sep 15, 1973 | 11 | 115 |
| 8 | Sep 22, 1973 | 7 | 119 |
| 9 | Sep 29, 1973 | 3 | 123 |
| 10 | Oct 6, 1973 | 1 | 125 |
| 11 | Oct 13, 1973 | 1 | 125 |
| 12 | Oct 20, 1973 | 2 | 124 |
| 13 | Oct 27, 1973 | 3 | 123 |
| 14 | Nov 3, 1973 | 4 | 122 |
| 15 | Nov 10, 1973 | 8 | 118 |
| 16 | Nov 17, 1973 | 14 | 112 |
| 17 | Nov 24, 1973 | 19 | 107 |
| 18 | Dec 1, 1973 | 35 | 91 |
| 19 | Dec 8, 1973 | 42 | 84 |
| 20 | Dec 15, 1973 | 51 | 75 |