Breed
Cher; Peter Cetera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mother's people were ashamed of me
The Indians said I was white by law
The White Man always called me "Indian Squaw"
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
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"
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 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
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
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
Dear Cher,
The song "Half-Breed" by Peter Cetera is a powerful commentary on a person who is half Native American and half White. Peter Cetera sings about a person whose father married a pure Cherokee while the mother's people were ashamed of her because of her half-breed child. The perspective of the song is from the person who has faced discrimination and struggles to find acceptance in a society that constantly reminds her of her mixed heritage. The chorus of “Half-breed, that's all I ever heard. Half-breed, how I learned to hate the word,” speaks to the stigma and discrimination that the person has faced from both sides of her heritage, making her feel like she never truly belongs anywhere.
The song highlights the challenges of growing up as a mixed-race person in a society that only recognizes and accepts one's heritage if it is in the majority. The lyrics emotionally depict the struggles that the half-breed person faced as she moved from one town to another as they were never truly accepted in any. The line “When you're not welcome you don't hang around” signifies the difficulties that the person has had in finding a place to belong. Despite the lack of acceptance from society, the person still struggles to find her identity but can't escape what she is.
Overall, "Half-Breed" is an emotional depiction of the ongoing struggles that mixed-race individuals face even to this day. It is a poignant reminder that people are human, regardless of their race or heritage, and that we all deserve love, acceptance, and respect.
Line by Line Meaning
My father married a pure Cherokee
My father, who was not Native American, married a woman who was of pure Cherokee descent.
My mother's people were ashamed of me
My mother's family, who were also Cherokee, were ashamed of me because of my mixed heritage.
The Indians said I was white by law
Even though I was of mixed heritage, according to the law, I was considered to be white.
The White Man always called me "Indian Squaw"
Despite being considered white by law, White people always referred to me as an Indian woman using a derogatory term.
Half-breed, that's all I ever heard
I was constantly referred to as a half-breed, which was a term that I grew to hate.
Half-breed, how I learned to hate the word
The constant use of the term half-breed made me hate not only the word, but also myself and my heritage.
Half-breed, she’s no good they warned
People on both sides, Native Americans and White people, believed that because of my mixed heritage, I wasn't good enough.
Both sides were against me since the day I was born
I was rejected by both Native Americans and White people because of my mixed heritage from the day I was born.
We never settled, went from town to town
My family and I were constantly on the move, never settling in one town for very long.
When you're not welcome you don't hang around
We never stayed in one place for very long because we were never truly welcome anywhere.
The other children always laughed at me
I was constantly ridiculed by other children because of my mixed heritage and the way that I looked.
"Give her a feather, she's a Cherokee"
Other children would tease me by pretending to give me a feather, insinuating that I was not really Cherokee because I was also of white heritage.
We weren't accepted and I felt ashamed
Because of my mixed heritage, I was never fully accepted by either group and felt ashamed because of it.
Nineteen I left them, tell me who's to blame
At the age of nineteen, I left my family and moved away, questioning who was to blame for my feelings of isolation and rejection.
My life since then has been from man to man
Since leaving my family, I have lived my life moving from one man to another, searching for something to fill the void left by my feeling of rejection from society.
But I can't run away from what I am
Despite my attempts to escape my past and my heritage, I realize that I can never truly run away from what I am.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, NORTH MUSIC GROUP, BMG Rights Management
Written by: AL CAPPS, MARY DEAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-he3xy9wb9v
Well, here we are again
I guess it must be fate
We've tried it on our own
But deep inside we've known
We'd be back to set things straight
I still remember when your kiss was so brand new
Every memory repeats
Every step I take retreats
Every journey always brings me back to you
After all the stops and starts
We keep comin' back to these two hearts
Two angels who've been rescued from the fall
After all that we've been through
It all comes down to me and you
I guess it's meant to be, forever you and me, after all
When love is truly right
(This time it's truly right)
It lives from year to year
It changes as it goes
Oh, and on the way it grows
But it never disappears
After all the stops and starts
We keep comin' back to these two hearts
Two angels who've been rescued from the fall
After all that we've been through
It all comes down to me and you
I guess it's meant to be, forever you and me, after all
Always just beyond my touch
You know I needed you so much
After all, what else is livin' for?
After all the stops and starts
We keep comin' back to these two hearts
Two angels who've been rescued from the fall
After all that we've been through
It all comes down to me and you
I guess it's meant to be, forever you and me, after all
@OPMLUMANGTC
My grandfather passed away yesterday and now I'm making a playlist with all the songs he loved and I remember him by. This is one of them. Thank you for showing me the greatest artists of all times. Loved, missed and never forgotten 🤘🔥❤
@myrlehill9475
Back in the 70 I just loved this music now I’m 73 and I m still listening to it it reminds me of my love for a wonderful man
@williamhoyle417
If this song doesn't stir your soul, then nothing ever will. What a beautiful masterpiece!
@golden8972
One of the most beautiful love songs ever made.
@user-uj7ij1bg7o
This was me and my husband’s wedding song as well November 20,1992!!!! Love it!!!
@barbarazacharias6078
So schön...Erinnerung...an eine außergewöhnliche Begegnung....❤❤❤...danke...mein Darling...mein Lebenskreis schließt sich....Danke...❤😢😢😢
@isorokuyamamoto8423
I remember buying the whole CD for this one song during my univ days in the 90s... lol... and it's worth it! Still have the CD after so many years.
@marilynalvarez9951
So, you still have it "after all" 😁
@isorokuyamamoto8423
@@marilynalvarez9951 yes i do... lol
@krystle8282
It’s like two soulmates who keep having to find each other, lifetime after lifetime. 🕊️