Half-Breed (song)

"Half-Breed"
Single by Cher
from the album Half-Breed
B-side	"Melody"
Released	1973
Format	7" single
Recorded	1973
Genre	Pop
Length	2:46
Label	MCA
Writer(s)	Al Capps; Mary Dean
Producer	Snuff Garrett
Certification	Gold (US)
Cher singles chronology
"Am I Blue?" (1973) "Half-Breed" (1973) "Carousel Man" (1973) Alternative covers Spanish Single Japanese Single

The live video

"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.

Song information and story

The single was the first international release from Cher's album Half-Breed. 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".

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.

Live performances

In 1999, after almost 25 years of not performing the song live, Cher performed this song in her Do You Believe? Tour. In 2002, she performed the song 325 times in her Living Proof: The Farewell Tour.

Cher performed the song on the following concert tours:

• Do You Believe? Tour (performed as part of the Hits Medley)
• The Farewell Tour (2002–2005) (performed as part of the Hits Medley)
• Cher at the Colosseum

Music video

The video for "Half-Breed" is a recorded performance of the song on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour 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 Tour. The medley contains the videos of "All I Really Want to Do", "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady".

In film

• The song appeared in the 2005 film Lords of Dogtown.

• An African-American female impersonator performs the song onstage in the 1999 film Flawless.

Covers

• Swedish singers Björn Skifs & Blåblus made one of the first covers in 1973. It was featured on their album Pinewood Rally.
• Orchestra leader Ray Conniff 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 Twain but it was not released until 2001 on her album The Complete Limelight Sessions.
• The song was covered by alternative rock band House of Large Sizes.
• Electronica artist Peaches covered the song for youth radio station Triple J's "Like a Version" segment.
• RuPaul covered "Half-Breed" on The RuPaul Show.

Charts

Chart (1973)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	3
Canadian Singles Chart	1
German Singles Chart	29
New Zealand Singles Chart	1
Norwegian Singles Chart	12
Swedish Singles Chart	6

References

Preceded by "We're an American Band" by Grand Funk

US Billboard Hot 100 number one single October 6, 1973 — October 13, 1973

Succeeded by "Angie" by The Rolling Stones

Preceded by "Delta Dawn" by Helen Reddy

Canadian RPM 100 number-one single October 6, 1973

Succeeded by "Angie" by The Rolling Stones