Indian Outlaw
| "Indian Outlaw" | ||||
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| Single by Tim McGraw | ||||
| from the album Not a Moment Too Soon | ||||
| Released | January 22, 1994 | |||
| Format | CD single | |||
| Recorded | 1993 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:01 | |||
| Label | Curb | |||
| Writer(s) | Tommy Barnes Jumpin' Gene Simmons John D. Loudermilk |
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| Producer | Byron Gallimore James Stroud |
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| Certification | Gold (RIAA) | |||
| Tim McGraw singles chronology | ||||
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"Indian Outlaw" is the title of a song written by Tommy Barnes, Jumpin' Gene Simmons and John D. Loudermilk. It was recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw as the first single from his 1994 album Not a Moment Too Soon. It was his first Top 40 country hit , and his fourth single overall. It peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, and #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was considered controversial at the time, due to its stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans;[1][2] as a result, some radio stations refused to play it.[3]
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[edit] Content
The song is an up-tempo set in minor key, backed by tom-tom drums and fiddle. The narrator describes himself as a rebellious American Indian character, "Half Cherokee and Choctaw". He describes, among other things, his pursuit of a Chippewa lover.
The song contains a sample of John D. Loudermilk's song "Indian Reservation".[4]
A dance remix of the single was also made. This remix appears on McGraw's 2010 album Number One Hits.
[edit] Critical reception
Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it an "incredible single" and saying that it is "positively stuffed with lyrical and musical Native American cliches, from tomtoms to wigwams to peace pipes." She goes on to say that if the song becomes a hit, "it'll set relations back 200 years."[5] Billboard magazine in their review of the album, said that the song is "either one of the catchiest or one of the stupidest songs ever written."[6]
[edit] Music video
There were two versions of the video released. One was for the original version of the song, and the other was for an extended dance mix. Both were directed by Sherman Halsey, who also directed most of McGraw's subsequent videos.
[edit] Chart performance
[edit] Peak positions
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 15 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 24 |
[edit] End of year charts
| End of year chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[7] | 90 |
[edit] References
- ^ CMT.com : Shows : Controversy : "Indian Outlaw" : About the Episode
- ^ CMT.com : Political Controversies Found Wynette and McGraw
- ^ Gerome, John (April 13, 2007). "Growing Strong - Cyrus' reach encompasses country music, more". San Angelo Standard Times. Archived from the original on 2007-04-26. http://web.archive.org/web/20070426100339/http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2007/apr/13/growing-strong---mcgraws-reach-encompasses-country/. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ http://www.ihesm.com/Loudermilk2.html Songs written by John D. Loudermilk
- ^ Billboard, February 5, 1994
- ^ Billboard, April 16, 1994
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1994. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
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