Cherokee Maiden

"Cherokee Maiden"

Single by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys

B-side

"Ride On (My Prairie Pinto)"

Released

January 1942

Recorded

July 23 & 24, 1941^[1]

Studio

CBS Columbia Square Studio, Hollywood, California^[2]

Genre

Western swing

Label

Okeh 06568

Songwriter(s)

Cindy Walker

Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys singles chronology

"Corrine Corrina"
(1941)

"Cherokee Maiden"
(1942)

"Dusty Skies"
(1942)

"Cherokee Maiden" is a Western swing love song written by Cindy Walker. "Cherokee Maiden" was one of Walker's first hits when it was recorded by Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys in 1941 (OKeh 6568).^[3]

Background

The title comes from a refrain in the chorus:

My little Cherokee Maiden, I love her so.
And though we're far apart,
I know I'll never be tradin' my love for her,
For anybody else's heart.

Merle Haggard cover

"Cherokee Maiden"

Single by Merle Haggard and The Strangers

from the album The Roots of My Raising

B-side

"What Have You Got Planned Tonight Diana"

Released

September 6, 1976

Genre

Country

Length

3:00

Ken Nelson, Fuzzy Owen

Merle Haggard and The Strangers singles chronology

"Here Comes the Freedom Train"
(1976)

"Cherokee Maiden"
(1976)

"If We're Not Back in Love by Monday"
(1977)

Merle Haggard and The Strangers recorded "Cherokee Maiden" in 1976 (Capitol 4326). It spent 11 weeks on the charts, reaching number one.^[4]

Personnel

Merle Haggard– vocals, guitar

The Strangers:

Roy Nichols – lead guitar
Norman Hamlet – steel guitar, dobro
Tiny Moore – mandolin
Eldon Shamblin– guitar
Ronnie Reno – guitar
Mark Yeary – piano
James Tittle – bass
Biff Adam – drums
Don Markham – saxophone

Chart history

Chart (1976)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[5]	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1

Other Cover Versions

In 2001, a recording by Asleep At The Wheel earned the group a Grammy.

References

^ 78 Record: Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys - Cherokee Maiden (1942), retrieved 2021-07-20
^ Russell, Tony (2004). Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921-1942. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 315. ISBN 0195139895.
^ "Bob Wills – Faded Love (2001, CD) - Discogs".
^ Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits, p. 147.
^ "Merle Haggard Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.

Bibliography

Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Billboard Books, 2006. ISBN 0-8230-8291-1

Merle Haggard

The Strangers

Norm Hamlet

Ralph Mooney

Tiny Moore

Roy Nichols

Gene Price

Eldon Shamblin

Gordon Terry

Biff Adam

Jimmy Belken

Eddie Burris

Gary Church

Wayne Durham

George French

Dennis Hromek

Don Markham

Johnny Meeks

Marcia Nichols

Ronnie Reno

Clint Strong

Jim Tittle

Jerry Ward

Bobby Wayne

Mark Yeary

Studio albums

Strangers
Swinging Doors ‡
I'm a Lonesome Fugitive ‡
Branded Man ‡
Sing Me Back Home ‡
The Legend of Bonnie & Clyde ‡
Mama Tried ‡
Pride in What I Am ‡
Same Train, a Different Time ‡
A Portrait of Merle Haggard ‡
A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World (or, My Salute to Bob Wills) ‡
Hag ‡
Someday We'll Look Back ‡
Let Me Tell You About a Song ‡
It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad) ‡
If We Make It Through December ‡
Merle Haggard Presents His 30th Album ‡
Keep Movin' On ‡
It's All in the Movies ‡
My Love Affair with Trains ‡
The Roots of My Raising ‡
Ramblin' Fever
A Working Man Can't Get Nowhere Today ‡
My Farewell to Elvis
I'm Always on a Mountain When I Fall
Serving 190 Proof
The Way I Am
Back to the Barrooms
Big City
Going Where the Lonely Go
That's the Way Love Goes
It's All in the Game
Kern River
Out Among the Stars
A Friend in California
Chill Factor
5:01 Blues
Blue Jungle
1994
1996
If I Could Only Fly
Roots, Volume 1
The Peer Sessions
Haggard Like Never Before
Unforgettable
Chicago Wind
The Bluegrass Sessions
I Am What I Am
Working in Tennessee

Compilations

Songs I'll Always Sing
Merle Haggard's Greatest Hits
His Epic Hits: The First 11 (To Be Continued...)
Down Every Road 1962–1994
16 Biggest Hits
Hag: The Best of Merle Haggard

Live albums

Okie from Muskogee ‡
The Fightin' Side of Me ‡
I Love Dixie Blues ‡
Rainbow Stew Live at Anaheim Stadium
The Epic Collection (Recorded Live)
Amber Waves of Grain

Gospel albums

The Land of Many Churches ‡
Songs for the Mama That Tried
Cabin in the Hills
Two Old Friends (with Albert E. Brumley, Jr.)

Holiday albums

Singles

1960s	"Sing a Sad Song" "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers" "Swinging Doors" ‡ "The Bottle Let Me Down" ‡ "The Fugitive" ‡ "I Threw Away the Rose" ‡ "Branded Man" ‡ "Sing Me Back Home" ‡ "The Legend of Bonnie & Clyde" ‡ "Mama Tried" ‡ "I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am" ‡ "Hungry Eyes" ‡ "Workin' Man Blues" ‡ "Okie from Muskogee" ‡
1970s	"The Fightin' Side of Me" ‡ "Jesus, Take a Hold" ‡ "I Can't Be Myself" ‡ "Soldier's Last Letter" ‡ "Someday We'll Look Back" ‡ "Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)" ‡ "Carolyn" ‡ "Grandma Harp" ‡ "It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)" ‡ "I Wonder If They Ever Think of Me" ‡ "The Emptiest Arms in the World" ‡ "Everybody's Had the Blues" ‡ "If We Make It Through December ‡" "Things Aren't Funny Anymore" ‡ "Old Man from the Mountain" ‡ "Kentucky Gambler" ‡ "Always Wanting You" ‡ "Movin' On" ‡ "It's All in the Movies" ‡ "The Roots of My Raising" ‡ "Here Comes the Freedom Train" ‡ "Cherokee Maiden" ‡ "If We're Not Back in Love by Monday" "Ramblin' Fever" "A Working Man Can't Get Nowhere Today" ‡ "From Graceland to the Promised Land" "Running Kind" ‡ "I'm Always on a Mountain When I Fall" "It's Been a Great Afternoon" "Red Bandana" "My Own Kind of Hat"
1980s	"The Way I Am" "Misery and Gin" "I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink" "Leonard" "Rainbow Stew" "My Favorite Memory" "Big City" "Are the Good Times Really Over (I Wish a Buck Was Still Silver)" "Going Where the Lonely Go" "You Take Me for Granted" "What Am I Gonna Do (With the Rest of My Life)" "It's All in the Game" "That's the Way Love Goes" "Someday When Things Are Good" "Let's Chase Each Other Around the Room" "A Place to Fall Apart" "Kern River" "I Had a Beautiful Time" "A Friend in California" "Almost Persuaded" "Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star" "Chill Factor" "We Never Touch at All" "You Babe" "5:01 Blues" "A Better Love Next Time" "If You Want to Be My Woman"

Collaborations

Albums	Just Between the Two of Us (with Bonnie Owens and The Strangers) A Taste of Yesterday's Wine (with George Jones) Pancho & Lefty (with Willie Nelson) Heart to Heart (with Leona Williams) Walking the Line (with George Jones and Willie Nelson) Seashores of Old Mexico (with Willie Nelson) Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again (with George Jones) Last of the Breed (with Willie Nelson and Ray Price) Django & Jimmie (with Willie Nelson)
Singles	"Bar Room Buddies" (with Clint Eastwood) "Yesterday's Wine" (with George Jones) "C.C. Waterback" (with George Jones) "Reasons to Quit" (with Willie Nelson) "Pancho and Lefty" (with Willie Nelson) "Wreck on the Highway" (with Chester Smith)
As guest	"Street Singer" (by The Strangers) "Walking the Floor Over You" (by Ernest Tubb) "Politically Uncorrect" (by Gretchen Wilson)

‡ indicates a release performed with The Strangers

v t e Asleep at the Wheel
Ray Benson David Sanger Katie Shore Dennis Ludiker Connor Forsyth Josh Hoag Flavio Pasquetto Joey Colarusso Lucky Oceans LeRoy Preston Danny Levin Gene Dobkin Chris O'Connell Emily Paxton Floyd Domino Tony Garnier Richard Casanova Scott Hennige Ed Vizard Link Davis Jr. Bill Mabry Pat "Taco" Ryan Johnny Nicholas Fran Christina Spencer Starnes Dean DeMerritt Maryann Price Bobby Black Brenda Burns Falkner Evans Paul Anastasio Billy Estes Dan Tyack Michael Francis Wally Murphy Jann Browne Steve Schwelling Tom Anastasio Roy McCrory Richard Hormachea Billy Cochran Tim Alexander Larry Franklin Mike Grammar Junior Brown John Ely David Dawson Jon Mitchell Ricky Turpin David Earl Miller Cindy Cashdollar Tommy Beavers Barbara Lamb Monty Gaylord Jason Roberts Chris Booher Rosie Flores John Michael Whitby Jim Murphy Haydn Vitera Eddie Rivers Elizabeth McQueen Walt Roberts Dan Walton Jay Reynolds Emily Gimble Chloe Feoranzo
Studio albums	Comin' Right at Ya Asleep at the Wheel Texas Gold Wheelin' and Dealin' The Wheel Collision Course Framed Pasture Prime 10 Western Standard Time Keepin' Me Up Nights The Wheel Keeps on Rollin' Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all The Very Best of Asleep at the Wheel Hang Up My Spurs Asleep at the Wheel Remembers the Alamo Reinventing the Wheel Willie and the Wheel (with Willie Nelson) New Routes Half a Hundred Years
Tribute albums	Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys Ride with Bob: A Tribute to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys Still the King: Celebrating the Music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
Live albums	Served Live Greatest Hits: Live & Kickin' Back to the Future Now: Live at Arizona Charlie's, Las Vegas Live at Billy Bob's Texas Live from Austin, TX
Compilations	Swing Time Route 66 The Swingin' Best of Asleep at the Wheel
Extended plays	Better Times
Singles	"Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" "The Letter That Johnny Walker Read" "Route 66 " "The House of Blue Lights " "Walk On By" "Hot Rod Lincoln" "Corrine, Corrina" "Lay Down Sally"
Other songs	"Boot Scootin' Boogie" "Cherokee Maiden" "Roly Poly"
Related articles	Band members Discography