The fiddle tune "Cherokee Shuffle" originated as an adaptation of an older traditional tune called "Lost Indian.” Generally (!) speaking, Lost Indian is played in the key of D, the B part is usually an octave version of the A part, and the tune is more closely associated with Old Time music. Cherokee Shuffle is played in the key of A, the B part is distinctive and extended, the tune was initially more closely linked to bluegrass fiddling, but is now common in Old Time circles.

Lost Indian: The Origin

The title "Lost Indian" has been associated with many fiddle melodies over time. There are transcripts of tunes by this name as early as the 1880s, and it was mentioned as a common piece in early 1930s fiddlers' contests. There are numerous regional variations played today. The center video below is an example of a regional variation, taken from the playing of Texas fiddler Eck Robertson (1887-1975).

“Lost Indian" was even further popularized in a 1949 recording by Roy Acuff and His Smoky Mountain Boys which they called “Lonesome Indian.” This tune was part of an album called “Barn Dance," a collection of  square dance tunes. There are several references that renowned fiddler Tommy Magness (1916-1972) recorded a version of "Lost/Lonesome Indian" with Roy Acuff’s band in the 1930s. This is reasonable, as Magness and Acuff did record “Smoky Mountain Rag” and other tunes in 1938, but “Lost Indian" could not be verified. Magness is officially credited as the arranger and may have also been the fiddler on Acuff’s 1949 recording. Trivia: during one of Magness’ many 1938 recording sessions, he played “The Orange Blossom Special,” which was to become incredibly popular. This was technically that tune’s first commercial recording, but that recording was never released. Why? Because the Rouse brothers, who wrote the tune, refused to sign a contract, releasing it themselves in 1939. The master by Magness was melted for scrap during WWII.

East Tennessee references abound, with Roy Acuff (1903-1992) himself being born in Maynardville, moving to Fountain City (now part of Knoxville), and starting his radio performances with Knoxville stations before going to eventual fame in Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry around 1938. The renowned resonator guitar player with Acuff, Pete Kirby (aka Bashful Brother Oswald) was born near Sevierville, later moving to Knoxville. There, he joined Acuff's “Crazy Tennesseans,” which eventually became the “Smoky Mountain Boys.” Fiddler Tommy Magness grew up in nearby Canton, NC (near Asheville). The video of “Lost Indian” below, features Magness and Kirby. Roy Acuff’s 1949 version of “Lonesome Indian" is also below, in the MP3 player. Here is a YouTube link to Acuff’s entire 1949 “Barn Dance” album.

Cherokee Shuffle: The Evolution: 

In the early 1950s, Tommy Jackson (1926-1979), a Nashville session fiddler, took the "Lonesome Indian" tune, and changed its key to A. He also wrote a new, distinctive B part which was noted for its unusual length of 10 measures instead of the standard reel length of 8. This newer version initially became popular in bluegrass circles, while the "Lost Indian" version remained more common in old-time music. Now, both tunes are considered standards in American fiddling, and can be heard at most any type of jam session. In addition, the original “crooked” B part of “Cherokee Shuffle" is commonly played “square” for dancers.

Both “Lost Indian” and “Cherokee Shuffle” are often described as “sounding Indian” and/or representing the calls of a lost Native American in the wilderness. Why is that? The titles are an obvious reference, but the “Indian” sound you are hearing is more likely related to Hollywood stereotypes and the popularity of Western movies, which greatly influenced the public as to what to expect in regards to Native American music. The shuffling beat and minor tonalities in these two fiddle tunes  are not necessarily elements of Native American music. Furthermore, the numerous tribes of Native Americans across North America all had their own unique musical traditions.

But, as actress Audrey Hepburn famously said, ”Everything I learned, I learned from the movies.”

Lost Indian

Tommy Magness with Pete Kirby

Key of D (audio only)