Lyr Req: Ballad of Ira Hayes (from Johnny Cash)

Subject: Leon & Cash
From: Dan Calder
Date: 01 Mar 97 - 07:26 AM

Hi Folks, I'm looking for two things: 1. The lyrics to a Johnny Cash tune called "Drunken Ira Hayes" and 2. The lyrics and chords to anything by Leon Redbone. I haven't been able to find either one so far.

Thanks in advance, Dan.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BALLAD OF IRA HAYES (from Johnny Cash
From: Ralph Butts
Date: 01 Mar 97 - 12:34 PM

From "Songs of Johnny Cash" songbook, Amsco Music Publishing Company, 1970. The printed version, by Peter LaFarge, is copyright Edward B. Marks Music Corp. All but chorus and coda is spoken, with a slight melody twist at the end of the verse.

I've adjusted the wording slightly to match Johnny's rendition on "Classic Cash" but the actual words used would vary from performance to performance.

.....Tiger

------------------------

THE BALLAD OF IRA HAYES
Words and music by Peter La Farge
As recorded by Johnny Cash on "Classic Cash" (1988)

CHORUS: Call him drunken Ira Hayes; he won’t answer anymore;
Not the whiskey-drinkin’ Indian, nor the marine that went to war.

SPOKEN: Gather ‘round me, people; there’s a story I would tell,
About a brave young Indian that we should remember well,
From the tribe of the Pima Indian, a proud and peaceful band
Who farmed the Phoenix Valley in Arizona Land.

Down their ditches for a thousand years the waters grew Ira’s people’s crops,
Till the white man stole the water rights and the sparklin’ water stopped.
Now Ira’s folks were hungry and their land grew crops of weeds,
But when war came Ira volunteered and forgot the white man’s greed. CHORUS

There they battled up Iwo Jima’s Hill—two hundred and fifty men,
But only twenty-seven lived—to fight back down again;
And when that fight was over, and when Old Glory raised,
Among the men to hold it high was the Indian—Ira Hayes. CHORUS

Ira Hayes returned a hero, celebrated through the land.
He was wined and speeched and honored; ev'rybody shook his hand,
But he was just a Pima Indian—no water, no crops, no chance.
At home nobody cared what Ira had done—and when did the Indians dance?

Ira started drinkin’ hard; jail was often his home.
There, they’d let him raise the flag and lower it, like you’d throw a dog a bone.
He died drunk early one mornin', alone in the land he fought to save.
Two inches of water in a lonely ditch was the grave for Ira Hayes. CHORUS

SPOKEN: Yeah, call him drunken Ira Hayes, but his land is just as dry,
And his ghost is lyin’ thirsty in the ditch where Ira died.

Subject: RE: Leon & Cash
From: Ralph Butts
Date: 01 Mar 97 - 12:41 PM

Dan....

As for Leon Redbone, he's sung just about everything (in his own style). I don't know if much of his stuff is original.

Perhaps you can get more specific and start a new section. Otherwise we could wind up with a 168-message thread.

....Tiger

Subject: RE: Leon & Cash
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 01 Mar 97 - 03:43 PM

The Ballad of Ira Hayes (Peter La Farge) is in the database. It's a good idea to look there first. You can search for Ira or Hayes or [Ira Hayes]

Subject: RE: Leon & Cash
From: belter
Date: 03 Mar 97 - 08:35 AM

If you didn't know how to speel Ira Hayes you could have search for drunken or some other key word.