Songs of Social Consciousness:The Ballad of Ira Hayes (Johnny Cash)

Ira Hayes was one of the soldiers who raised the flag in that iconic photo of Iwo Jima during WWII. In 1964, Johnny Cash, in what was seen by some as a risky move for his singing career, recorded a concept album, Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian, to raise public awareness about the plight of Native Americans. "The Ballad of Ira Hayes," written by Peter LaFarge, reached #3 on the Country Singles chart that year, and certainly brought some education and awareness to the airwaves that year.

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