Native Son

Album: Into The Fire (1987)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this song, Bryan Adams and his frequent collaborator Jim Vallance make a statement about the treatment of native Indians by the early white settlers. It was inspired by Chief Joseph, chief of the Nez Perce ("nose pierced") tribe from the 1800s.
  • Adams had the song name for a couple of years, but had trouble finding a lyrical theme to go with the title. It was Vallance's friend Duris Maxwell (who is of Native American heritage), who suggested Chief Joseph. Vallance recalled on his website: "I went to the Vancouver library and read everything I could find on Joseph, which turned out to be a truly fascinating story. I wrote a page of notes at the library, most of it direct quotes from Joseph's speeches. With a little modification those notes became the basis for the song."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

Bill Withers

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.