Geronimo's Cadillac

Album: Geronimo's Cadillac (1972)
Charted: 37
Play Video
  • They put Geronimo in jail down south
    Where he couldn't look a gift horse in the mouth

    Sergeant, Sergeant, don't you feel
    There's something wrong with your automobile?
    Governor, Governor, now aint it strange
    They didn't have no cars on the Indian range?
    Warden, Warden, listen to me
    Be brave and set Geronimo free

    Whoa, boys, take me back
    I wanna ride in Geronimos Cadillac

    Warden, Warden, don't you know
    That prisoners have no place to go?
    Took Old Geronimo by storm
    Ripped off the feathers from his uniform
    Jesus tells me, I believe it's true
    The red man is in the sunset too
    Took all their land and they wont give it back
    Sent Geronimo a Cadillac Writer/s: CHARLES QUARTO, MICHAEL MURPHEY
    Publisher: CARLIN AMERICA INC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 5

  • Dexter Greentree from Sevlievo BulgariaI used to coach a 19-year-old female bodybuilder in Zimbabwe in the late 80s.
    Despite my protests, she used Geronimo's Cadillac for her posing routine for her first comp.
    She came third. I was astounded, I did not think she could pull off posing to that music.
    Debbie, you were right, I was wrong. I wonder where you are now.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyHere's some obscured trivia:
    On September 4th 1886, in Skeleton Canyon, Arizona, Geronimo and his Apache Indian followers surrendered to U.S. General Nelson Miles...
    Exactly eighty-six years later on September 4th, 1972 Michael Martin Murphey's "Geronimo's Cadillac" was at #58 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; just under four weeks later on October 1st it would peak at #37 {for 2 weeks} and it stayed on the chart for 13 weeks...
    His next release, "Wildfire", would be his biggest hit on the Top 100 chart; on June 15th, 1975 it would peak at #3 {for 2 weeks} and it spent 19 weeks on the chart...
    He had a total of six Top 100 records; but on Billboard's Hot Country Singles between 1976 and 1991 he had twenty-nine hits with two reaching #1, "What's Forever For" in 1982 and "A Long Line of Love" in 1987...
    Michael Martin Murphey celebrated his 70th birthday this past March 14th {2015}.
  • Mark from San Pedro, CaI think that Hoyt Axton wrote the song, tho of course Murphey's first album was titled and features the song. If you google the title you will find a 1905 foto of Geronimo in a Locomobile, taken at some kind of media event at a ranch while Geronimo was an unwilling guest of the US gov'mint. They also staged fotos of him skinning a buffalo he had supposedly killed, tho he never hunted them, they didn't exist in the area he lived in. Fine song. Hoyt was a great writer and performer, rest in peace.
  • Dougee from San Bernardino, CaPer Wikipedia, Cadillac was founded in 1902 and Geronimo died in 1909, so yes, it was definitely possible.
  • Ted from Phoenix, AzI wasn't aware that the Cadillac brand was around during Geronimo's lifetime--or was it an "edited" picture of the Indian chief sitting in a modern-day Cadillac that was the song's inspiration.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Song Cities

Song CitiesMusic Quiz

Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz.

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the Song

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the SongSong Writing

How a goofy detective movie, a disenchanted director and an unlikely songwriter led to one of the biggest hits in pop history.

Guy Clark

Guy ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett are just a few of the artists who have looked to Clark for insightful, intelligent songs.

Steely Dan

Steely DanFact or Fiction

Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?