Johnny Cash - Apache Tears Lyrics

Apache Tears are the black obsidian stones that to this day litter the ground in areas that was once Apache (Indé) territory.

Water is life.

the americans should be ashamed at what they did to women and children and keep doing it to people. Do these presidents want to be remembered for the shit things they did, Clinton -all the money he stole and Bush for the lies and deceit of 9/11, and trump who went to far and will cause another civil war, you all better wake up

I wanted to cry listening to this song...every word is so true. We owe the Native Americans a debt we can never fully repay. God Bless you, Johnny. <3

We fucked over the Native Americans not unlike the Germins fucked over the Jewish people in WW2.

The amount of white dumbasses in America screaming about their "homeland" in recent times makes me think of this song.

this song sends shivers down my spine only Johnny had the ability to do that what a man

❤❤❤

When will we ever stop taking advantage of Native Americans? When will it end? We should be honoring the heritage of the original Americans and not continuing to infringe to the small amount of land that we gave them when we took the rest of their homeland. Johnny Cash was a great entertainer and a wise man. I have always loved his music and I love this music.

Jim Jordan when ? good question...the government will never stop...is up to us to help,empower the people who are been oppressed

ty every 1 for your comments , i love the Johnny Cash always my favorite , yet it's odd that i'm 5th gen Australian Johnny was also my mothers favorite singer too

im cajun but i can relate

Great Songs ,  great singer , great native land forever

Brilliant song.

IMHO, The Man in Black was the epitome of country and western music. Johnny Cash was an innovative singer, guitarist and songwriter whose music typically gave a subtle thumbs-up to the poor and the downtrodden everywhere. He well knew the pain, misery and degradation that the powers that be have always dealt to the common man and he put it into music as no one else ever has. He used his very own brand of innovation to blend country, rock, blues and gospel influences together to create a most unique and beautiful sound 
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Born on February 26, 1932, in Kingsland, Arkansas, Singer, Songwriter and Musician Johnny Cash, was born John R. Cash, on February 26, 1932, in Kingsland, Arkansas. The son of poor Southern Baptist sharecroppers, Cash, one of seven children born to Ray and Carrie Rivers Cash, moved with his family at the age of 3 to Dyess, Arkansas, so that his father could take advantage of the New Deal farming programs instituted by President Roosevelt. There, the Cash clan lived in a five-room house and farmed 20 acres of cotton and other seasonal crops.
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John, or J.R. as he was known to those close to him, spent the bulk of the next 15 years out in the fields, working alongside his parents and brothers and sisters. It wasn't always an easy life, Cash would later recall. At the age of 10 he was hauling water for a road gang and at 12 years old he moving large sacks of cotton.
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"The entire family, my parents, two brothers and two sisters spent the first night in the truck under a tarpaulin" Cash once said about his family's move to Dyess. "The last thing I remember before going to sleep was my mother beating time on the old Sears-Roebuck guitar, singing 'What Would You Give In Exchange For Your Soul."
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Music was indeed one of the ways the Cash family found escape from some of the hardship. Songs surrounded the young Johnny Cash, be it his mother's folk and hymn ballads, or the working music people sang out in the fields.
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Johnny Cash, joined the Air Force in 1950 and trained in Texas where he met his first wife. After his service and discharge, he formed a band and landed a record deal. In 1955, when signing with Sun Records, he took Johnny Cash as his stage name. By the early 1960s, he was a musical superstar, known for his innovative hit songs with gospel undertones. In 1967, he married June Carter.
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After researching his ancestry he had discovered that he was of Scottish royal descent, among other things such as English and Scots-Irish. After the opportunity of meeting with former Falkland, Fife laird, Major Michael Crichton-Stuart, he traced the Cash family tree to 11th-century Fife, Scotland. Scotland’s Cash Loch bears the name of his family.
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Although Johnny Cash, learned that he was not of Native American descent, his empathy and compassion for Native Americans was unabated. Such feelings were expressed in several of his songs, including “Apache Tears” and “The Ballad of Ira Hayes”, and on his album, Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian, et cetera etc.
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He recorded his last track of his final album a week before his death in 2003. 

“I'd like to wear a rainbow every day / and tell the world that everything is o.k. / But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back. / Until things are brighter, I'm the Man in Black.” ~ Johnny Cash

a DNA test would have proved he part native All the great country singers are part native//

i love my apache brother johny.

Overheard at a grocery store by someone waiting in line behind a woman speaking on her cellphone in another language . After the woman hangs up, he speaks up.  


Man: I didn't want to say anything while you were on the phone, but you're in America now. you need to speak English.


woman: excuse me?


Man: very slow if you want to speak Mexican then go back to Mexico.  In America we speak English.


Woman: Sir, I was speaking Navajo. If you want to speak English, go back to England.

I'm Miwok Indian,Pagan and a republican.............

spitwest SJW fail.

@Victoria Kelly. I have had numerous encounters with racist eastern Europeans in a safeway out in Winnipeg spewing unfounded nonsense about Indigenous people and then simultaneously speaking with a sense of self entitlement concerning other folk they say are not from here, but who happen to not be white.

louieDsypo

Why do democrats call Republicans, or white Southerners
"inbreds"? The entire Latino community is inbred. Blacks have been having incestuous relationships for YEARS. And its a fact that northerners, before slavery was abolished north of the
Mason-Dixon line, had been screwing the help ever since they landed at Plymouth Rock. So look around yourself a little bit before you call someone an "inbred".

Perlman Fredy

There are racist everywhere. Of ALL colors.

this is such a sad song...

I love being a true american....a meso-american.....everybody else is just visiting

I just wanted to come here and learn the meaning of the lyrics instead a bunch of racial bickering, surprise surprise. There's no posts about this song on songmeanings.com

@c bones You can google Apache Tears, it will tell you the story about the attack and the deaths at Apache Leap, where tears turned to stone.

Ok thanks man.

c bones I’m sure you’ve looked it up by now, however story goes they were raided and were driven to a mountain due to being outnumbered. They ran out of arrows and instead of being taken captive, all lept from the cliff. The remaining women cried over the loss and it is said they’re tears touched the earth, petrified and turned to these black stones. Physically, they are made of obsidian or volcanic glass. In your palm they appear to be a black pebble. I have one myself. But when you hold it up to the light, it becomes transparent and you can see through the pebble.

Native americans are the most beautiful people on Earth in many ways. Is it the reason they are so mistreated? It's not right!

you are all right

Anja Kuoppala I agree..I used to date a girl who was a native American​..she told me the reservations were like ghettos...she would cry when she talked

Great song!

I listen to this song, drunk, and with an Apache tear in my left hand.

What are the odds? I'm listening to this song while drinking, with an apache tear in my left hand as well.

Someone hasn't researched christian history very well Christians have always been invaders

THAT IS TRUE THE WHITE MAN KICKED THEM OUT AT THE ALMO WERE THEY LIVE NOW IS IS NOT MEXICO ITS WERE THEY PLACED THEM

TRUE AMERICA IS A CHRISTAIN NATION A JOKE LOOK AT HER HISTORY A DISGRACEFUL HISTORY

TRUE THEY STOLE THE LAND RAPED OUR WOMEN KILLED US OFF WITH THEIR SICKNESS

you dont deserve to breath

I have a question...When are the origional natives of this country going to get mad enough to get Obozo out of the white house?

Such a poetic and haunting album from a man of such an expansive mind and spirit.

You are all missing the point, johnny cash didn't have a drop of Indian blood, and yet he loved the Indian culture deeply. This ain't about what people did hundreds of years ago, this isn't about what the white men did to the Indians or the blacks, johnny's music is about finding a common ground and loving each other without taking notice of someone skin color or culture.

There is probably not a square inch of land in the world that was not occupied by some other people group. Being human means we can do terrible things as every people group has done. The earliest Americans found so far were NOT the same as our "Indians"
SEE - trussel.com/prehist/news115.htm
But they may have been wiped out by "Indians"

astonishing how ignorant people are isn't it? every other day I am confronted by a new level of stupidity that exceeds what I though was possible the day before

Oh, their still here in America, I have a little native blood but that's because it's been bred out over the years but I do native dancing ceremonies at powwows. Trust me the native americans have not disappeared.

I am not an American but what happened to the native Americans was I dunno just so horrifying and fills me with a horrible sadness and anger I wish I could see this great and noble people before they faded away

Love this album!!!!

Every Country on Earth has slaughtered so called Natives and took their land

yep and before Mexico some other country took claim to California and Texas

Your havin a laugh. California, Texas, these lands were all part of Mexico once.

gotta agree with you but consider this your own ancestors did the same to mine the scots they tried to destroy our way of life and destroy our culture so dont throw stones to much at the american gvt for iots treatment of native americans oop s forgot same generic roots german stock kinda funny how history keeps repeating aint it

and because you see movies and see us in books you think we are all like that. how do you know that if you werent there to see it. there are a lot of things that are fake that come out of books like your white man god

That's not true, he admitted that he wasn't and his son even said it wasn't true in the 2011 fundraiser to restore his childhood home outside of Dyess Arkansas.

Johnnie cash was part cherokee

j'adore que de semtiments

I think it is a fabric problem,earth should consider using the warranty period.

paras on

I agree. But I don't agree with the assessment that white man "conquered savages". That's severely ignorant. The conquerors were humans too, and they weren't bringing a perfect society. They killed and plundered on a large scale. The history of the US is broken agreement after broken agreement with the natives about land. No we promise you can keep anything west of illionois. 2 years later: ok ok... we lied, but we'll still give you the dakotas... 2 years later..how about a trailer park?

Please tell me how you came to this conclusion. It's true that people, over time, have romanticized the Native American as this noble, nature and peace loving individual, which is, at the very least, stretching the truth. Natives are like any other people on earth. There are meek natives and there are warmongers. To try and say that the white man introduced the native to greed and war is such a naive way to look at things.

I stole so many Johnny Cash lyrics for my English coursework :))))))))

name one big man: Johnny Cash!

Los Apaches!!! Dominates :.

You are not very analytical or intelligent.

I allways whanted to chat whit one!Well you have my cheering

One huge problems for indias friom the time they met the first white was alcohol, tobbacco, and not drugs. Native americans like native hawaiians, and natives of many other countries such as parts of indronesian islands had no defense against alcohol at all. They had two problems. One was the alcohol the other was that like hawaiians they never had a need for a job or hard work. Their home was where ever they wanted it to be with thousands of square miles to choose from.

my grsand mother was some indian or1/2 not sure. cherokee they said. I am probly a mutt

Be you an indian?

obsidian with a diameter from about 0.5 to 5cm

does any one know what it means to have a dream of a native (apache) saying to you apache tears. But not remembering the rest of the dream just what was said.

@otherworldtrader1 Very aptly put.. Man usually returns to security to the places and cultures he has plundered together with his folk... This is a touching number no doubt..

@tallicafiend86 No... the government doesn't give as much as you think. The Natives live in poverty all over the United States.

If i may 1michelemichele1 i would like to respectfully request that you block the ability to comment on this video,And thank you for posting such a wonderful song,that by the way was written out of Johnny Cash's extreme love for American indians.

y is it indian reservations out west are some of the most disguisting, dirty, run-down filthy places i've ever drove through or seen?
1. The "Native Americans" dont have to work for anything because the government will give it to them
2. Half the proud honest hard working indians have paint on their face from huffing spray paint for a cheap fix.

Im sur ther r plenty of normal hard workin Indains out there working in casinos n such, go out west n take a look at ur heritage now, pathetic

William Cash Stovall dob 2-23-11. My personal tribute

@latinalovin83 you said guns they did not invented guns.

@latinalovin83 they did not know how to use them and the Europeans gave it to them they could mess with the guns

@latinalovin83 it was a war with tech they did not have Superior tech Europe's guns native arrows Europe's steel natives bronze.While they took a lot of Europe's with what they had so i say natives had a good run with what they had plus they still have tad bit of what they had

@latinalovin83 lol....it would be a very boring world if we were all attracted to the same type of men! - we'll just agree to disagree then!

@latinalovin83 ..I wouldn't have posted the comment if I hadn't been serious!

Johnny Cash looks gorgeous on this album cover!

I recommend all watch Reel Indians. No propoganda, just real talk. A must see.

@otherworldtrader1 I agree. I am half Mayan, a quarter Guajiro Indian, and a quarter Israeli. To me, hate and prejudice is something that I have often encountered. But in my experience it always stems out of the black of heart, envy, and fear. And it is a shame to all human kind.

@MrStrongarms Bro, I'm Indian. I immigrated here from India four years ago. Tell my parents they were born here and you'll be pulling a Moccassin out your ass.

@MrStrongarms google that bitch!!!

what the hell are you talking about a war Native Americans are not imigrants if you were here right you would be pulling a shoe out of your white ass!!!

@MrStrongarms Google the war of 1812 and get back to me pleas when you take your foot out of your mouth.

@papashangofan WTF immigrants (pardon me lord great spirit you might want to plug your ears ) are you fucking stupid the white people are immigrants you stole this land with lies and violence do you just not know the meaning of the word you chose to use . the song is about the murder and injustice that the native americans suffered a the hands of the whites amazing !!!

This song is about Indian immigrants.

@sindiwes i agree with ya they held the land sacred and took only wat they needed to survive and gave the rest back to mother earth and got more in return (one reason i eat only a couple meals a day and give thanks for the bounty at times when i remember to) and only took the bark off trees and dead branches to make weapons and shelter while the white ppl on the other hand in thier greed and hunger for more and more destroyed the forests and watnot for thier own puposes i'm still upset about it

@CMCProductions1000 Native Americans, threre not from india

@popmaffe
I love to hunt so if u get a time machine... count me in!!!

I'm am straight up white, but I have great respect for the indians. I think that it is a scar upon the upon american history that some of us white people got to act like ass-holes and selfish racist retards just cuz the indians where there first!!! I'm from the south and I am 100% not racist!!! The indians need reprements to the wrong doing!!!

@popmaffe true i agree 100%

@samalini i agree its true indians are still treated badly but it is also true not all white people are bad from the beggining theit have been white men who helped indians the problem is no one knows what goes on in reservations why not try to get peoples attention it will take a long time probabaly but racisim on either side will not help any thing

White People....Black Heart

ironic that the white man came here to escape the same treatment he visited on the indians.

@mysteriousstranger24 caps lock is not cruise control for cool.

I grew up listening to and loving Johnny Cash and this album was always my favorite of all the ones my dad owned. Johnny has left the building there will never be another like him.

This haunts me in a way only Johnny Cash can!

Johnny Cash - 20th (21st) Century - will be around in the 22nd I reckon

I can see this going to number one in America and other Countries. I would like any money made from my Native American playlists to go to music projects in Native America and Europe to keep the Native American music culture alive

This is a very touching song I have hear for the first time in my life just before I composed this comment just now. This is a song that gives great tribute to a people who have suffered such extreme injustice. I will never forget the truth revealed in the subliminal messages of this song.

Touching, very touching.

SO MANY TOOTH WHISTLES!!!!!!!!

whatyever Johnny ia forever

it bothers me that everyone plays "ring of fire" and "jackson" ....while albums like this and "Ride this train" are almost forgotten

Where can I find this album

the truth.

@abrekutu The "trail of tears" was also traveled by the Choctaws, Chickasaws, and Creeks from Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.

@HarlockQ thank you for the information

@courageousdreamer222 the apache tear stones are named do to the response of the US army action against a band of Apache's that attacked a settlement that had encrouched on their land and killed some of their tribe. The US army drove them to the cliffs children and all and pushed them over the story goes that the amount of hatred and sadness filled their blood which bathed the obsidian, and changed the composition of the obsidian to this day apache tear stones only grow in that area.