As the year closes out, Cher is getting ready to release the first volume of her autobiography, Cher: The Memoir, in addition to her upcoming Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. For her, this called for a rare collection release featuring the best songs of her career.
While the compilation titled Forever is in the works, reports say Cher excluded her 1973 hit song, “Half Breed,” due to the racial prejudice reflected in the lyrics. It appears the song still haunted her at some points in her career, such as 2017. “I Did Song 50 yrs ago, & it wasn’t meant 2 b offensive,” she explained at the time.
‘Half Breed’ topped the charts amid criticism
Despite “Half Breed” carrying an offensive label, it topped the US charts upon release, and Cher even had it on her setlist during the Australian leg of the Here We Go Again tour. She took care to omit it for her American audience, having posted the previous year that it was way past its time, and she needed to retire the beautiful costume.
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Such retrospective conclusions are not unusual, as renowned artists tend to review their work occasionally, to move with the times. The likes of The Beatles, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and even a more current singer, Taylor Swift, have had to readdress some of their lyrics for political correctness.
What’s the deal with ‘Half Breed?’
The ‘70s song tells the story of a mixed-race girl who faced racial discrimination from both sides of her divide— white and Indian. According to the lyrics, the Indians would say she was the other by law, while the Whites would call her an “Indian squaw.”
Unlike then, terms like “half-breed” are now regarded as offensive to either party. Speaking of offense, innocent terms like “Spaz” in lyrics have caused music by Beyonce and Lizzo to get canceled by disabled groups because it is considered derogatory rather than another word for “freaking out.”