BtZ42/10: Cherokee

[János Széky]

63 (Viking)

"Cherokee" (the song) was written by English expat Ray Noble in 1938.

The lyrics go:

"Sweet Indian maiden, since first I met you,
I can't forget you, Cherokee sweetheart.

Child of the prairie, your love keeps calling,
My heart enthralling, Cherokee.

Dreams of summertime, of lovertime gone by,
Throng my memory so tenderly, and sigh. My

Sweet Indian maiden, one day I'll hold you,
In my arms fold you, Cherokee."

Charlie Barnet's uptempo, high-spirited instrumental version, which seems
to be the same that "comes wailing in from the dance floor below," reached
#15 in the charts in September 1939.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnNUd7NzTMo

The narrator calls it "one more lie about white crimes", referring, of
course, to the Trail of Tears, arguably the closest thing to genocide in
American history.

Meanwhile, in 1939, Charlie Parker *did *find out, playing "Cherokee" at a
jam session, how to use the top notes of the chords "to break up the
melody" - an act of musical deconstruction, and, considering "the lie" of
the song, political. (And the very inception of modern jazz.)

"/His/ trip by'39, well begun" - he was an addict by then.

So 64 (Viking): "the saxes downstair getting into some, oh really weird
shit. . . ." That's shit in all three senses.
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