Buffy Sainte-Marie is a Cree singer-songwriter, musician, and activist who has had a long and successful career spanning several decades.
She was born in 1941 on the Piapot Plains Cree First Nation Reserve in Saskatchewan, Canada, and was raised by her maternal grandparents.
Sainte-Marie began singing and performing at a young age, and by the time she was a teenager, she was already making a name for herself in the folk music scene.
In 1964, she released her debut album, “It’s My Way!”, which featured a mix of traditional Cree songs and original compositions.
Throughout her career, Sainte-Marie has been known for her powerful and moving lyrics, which often tackle themes of social justice, love, and indigenous rights.
In the 1960s, she became a prominent voice in the American Indian Movement, and her activism has continued to be a major part of her life and work.
In addition to her music, Sainte-Marie is also an accomplished visual artist and educator. She has designed album covers and other artwork, and she has taught art and music to both children and adults.
Sainte-Marie has received numerous awards and accolades for her work, including a Juno Award for Lifetime Achievement and an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. She continues to perform and create new music, and remains an important figure in the world of folk music and activism.
Buffy St. Marie Music Hits
Throughout her career, she has released many hit songs that have resonated with audiences around the world.
One of Sainte-Marie’s most popular songs is “Universal Soldier,” which she wrote in 1964. The song is a commentary on the futility of war and the ways in which soldiers are used as pawns by their governments.
It became a major hit for Sainte-Marie, and has been covered by many other artists over the years.
Another hit for Sainte-Marie is “Until It’s Time for You to Go,” which she wrote in 1966. The song is a heartbreaking ballad about love and loss, and has been covered by artists such as Barbra Streisand and Elvis Presley.
Sainte-Marie has also had success with more politically charged songs, such as “My Country ‘Tis of Thy People You’re Dying,” which she wrote in 1971.
The song is a powerful critique of the treatment of Indigenous peoples in North America, and continues to be relevant today.
Overall, Sainte-Marie has had a diverse and successful career as a musician, and has contributed many hit songs to the world of folk music.
Buffet St. Marie Music Lyrics
Here are the lyrics to Buffy Sainte-Marie’s song “Universal Soldier”:
He’s five foot-two, and he’s six feet-four, He fights with missiles and with spears. He’s all of 31, and he’s only 17, Been a soldier for a thousand years.
He’s a Catholic, a Hindu, an atheist, a Jain, A Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew. And he knows he shouldn’t kill, And he knows he always will, Kill you for me my friend and me for you.
And he’s fighting for Canada, He’s fighting for France, He’s fighting for the USA, And he’s fighting for the Russians, And he’s fighting for Japan, And he’s fighting for Germany, And he’s fighting for the Africans, And he’s fighting for the Arabs, And he’s fighting for the Chinese, And he’s fighting for the Hindus, And he’s fighting for the Jews, And he’s fighting for all mankind,
We’re not supposed to fight, For one another’s rights, But that’s what we do, And we’ve been doing it, For a thousand years.
And we call it the Universal Soldier, And we call it the Universal Soldier, And we call it the Universal Soldier, And we call it the Universal Soldier.
