Johnny Cash – The Ballad of Ira Hayes

Introduction:

Released in 1961 , The Ballad of Ira Hayes is a powerful folk song recorded by the legendary country music singer Johnny Cash. The song, written by folk singer Peter La Farge, tells the tragic story of Ira Hayes, a Pima Native American who became an unwitting symbol of American heroism during World War II.

Hayes was one of six United States Marines who raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi during the brutal Battle of Iwo Jima in February 1945. The iconic image captured by photographer Joe Rosenthal became an enduring symbol of American victory in the Pacific. However, the reality for Hayes and his fellow flag-raisers was far more complex.

The Ballad of Ira Hayes explores the dark side of war and the invisible wounds it inflicts. The song delves into Hayes’ struggles to reconcile his wartime experiences with the hero’s welcome he received upon returning home. The lyrics paint a portrait of a man haunted by the horrors of Iwo Jima, unable to find solace or peace.

Cash’s somber baritone delivery perfectly complements the melancholic tone of the ballad. The song’s sparse instrumentation, featuring acoustic guitar and subtle percussion, further amplifies the emotional weight of the lyrics.

The Ballad of Ira Hayes was a major hit for Cash, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart [Wikipedia]. More importantly, the song brought national attention to the plight of Ira Hayes and other Native American veterans who faced social and economic marginalization upon returning home.

Hayes himself battled alcoholism and depression throughout his life. Tragically, he died by suicide on the Pima Reservation in Arizona in 1959, just a few years before the song’s release.

The Ballad of Ira Hayes remains an important touchstone in American music. It serves as a powerful reminder of the human cost of war and the ongoing struggles faced by veterans. The song’s enduring legacy lies in its ability to give voice to the voiceless and challenge the simplistic narratives of heroism that often surround war.

Video:

Lyrics:

Ira Hayes
Ira Hayes
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won’t answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinking Indian
Or the marine that went to war

Gather ’round me people
There’s a story I would tell
‘Bout a brave young Indian
You should remember well
From the land of the Pima Indian
A proud and noble band
Who farmed the Phoenix Valley
In Arizona land
Down the ditches a thousand years
The waters grew Ira’s peoples’ crops
‘Til the white man stole their water rights
And the sparkling water stopped
Now, Ira’s folks were hungry
And their land grew crops of weeds
When war came, Ira volunteered
And forgot the white man’s greed

Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won’t answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinking Indian
Or the marine that went to war

There they battled up Iwo Jima hill
Two hundred and fifty men
But only twenty-seven lived
To walk back down again
And when the fight was over
And Old Glory raised
Among the men who held it high
Was the Indian, Ira Hayes

Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won’t answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinking Indian
Or the marine that went to war

Ira Hayes returned a hero
Celebrated through the land
He was wined and speeched and honored
Everybody shook his hand
But he was just a Pima Indian
No water, no home, no chance
At home nobody cared what Ira’d done
And when did the Indians dance

Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won’t answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinking Indian
Or the marine that went to war

Then Ira started drinking hard
Jail was often his home
They let him raise the flag and lower it
Like you’d throw a dog a bone
He died drunk early one morning
Alone in the land he fought to save
Two inches of water and a lonely ditch
Was a grave for Ira Hayes

Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won’t answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinking Indian
Or the marine that went to war

Yeah, call him drunken Ira Hayes
But his land is just as dry
And his ghost is lying thirsty
In the ditch where Ira died