☝️ Key Points
- The song is about an old Apache woman who has experienced many difficult times.
- It mentions how many years and bitter cold winter nights she has spent in a teepee.
- It refers to the many hungry children and fleeing warriors the woman has seen.
- The song mentions the conflict between Native Americans and white settlers.
- It raises the question of how many broken hearts the woman has seen and whether her tears are real.
Interpretation
In the song 'Old Apache Squaw' by
Johnny Cash, it is about an old Apache woman who has experienced many difficult times. The singer asks how many long and hard years she has already lived and how many bitter cold winter nights she has spent in a cold teepee (a traditional Indian tent). The lines 'How many hungry kids you saw?' and 'How many bloody warriors, runnin' to the sea?' show that the woman has seen many hungry children and warriors fleeing from something and seeking refuge by the sea.
The song also mentions that the old woman supposedly saw Cochise, a famous Apache chief, when he fought his last battle. Cochise is said to have said that the next white man who sees his face will be a dead white man. This shows the conflict between Native Americans and white settlers.
The song also poses the question of how many broken hearts the old Apache woman has seen and whether the tears in her eyes are actually tears. This could indicate that the woman has experienced many losses and grief.
Overall, the song shows the harsh living conditions and pain that the Apache woman and her community have experienced. It is a song about the suffering and bravery of Native Americans.