This cover art happens to be one of our biggest selling reprints. In many respects, the cover of this song is the greatest of all "Indian maiden" covers. "This is absolutely one of the most colorful gorgeous covers ever created. In some respects it is also one of the most inaccurate depiction of a Native American yet typical of the period. a native American woman in a war bonnet complete with full makeup, eye shadow, rouge, lipstick. Despite that, it is absolutely beautiful. It seems the depiction of native Americans on these music covers was very stylized to present them not as they were but it seems, as we envisioned they should be." At that time we also said, "the popular music of this period did not truly represent native American music. Instead, as with many issues, the title themes and cover images were primarily designed as marketing techniques to sell music. The music within was still the Euro-American popular music style we have become accustomed to as we listen to the songs of the era." Tin Pan Alley that paid homage to our Native Americans even if that homage was sometimes insulting and in almost all cases, inaccurate. Despite that, the Indian theme intensely flourished as a musical fad for about five or six years from around 1905. There were other such songs published well after that but few rose to the level of Red Wing and the others from the pre 1910 period. Kerry Mills (1869 - 1948) was an American composer of popular music during the Tin Pan Alley era. His stylistically diverse music ranged from ragtime to cakewalk to marches. He was most prolific between 1895 and 1918. Mills was born Frederick Allen Mills in Philadelphia. He trained as a violinist and was working as head of the Violin Department of the University of Michigan School of Music when he began composing. "Red Wing" is a popular song written in 1907 with music by F.A Mills and lyrics by Thurland Chattaway. Mills adapted the music of the verse from Robert Schumann's piano composition "The Happy Farmer, Returning From Work" from his 1848 Album for the Young, Opus 68. The song tells of a young Indian girl's loss of her sweetheart who has died in battle. Lyrics: There once lived an Indian maid, A shy little prairie maid, Who sang all day a love song gay, As on the plains she'd while away the day. She loved a warrior bold, This shy little maid of old, But brave and gay he rode one day To battle far away. Chorus: Now the moon shines tonight on pretty Red Wing, The breeze is sighing, the night bird's crying, For afar 'neath his star her brave is sleeping, While Red Wing's weeping her heart away. Verse 2. She watched for him day and night; She lit all the campfires bright; And under the sky each night, she would lie And dream about his coming by and by, But when all the braves returned, The heart of Red Wing yearned, For far, far away, her warrior gay Fell bravely in the fray. Chorus, Now the moon shines tonight on pretty Red Wing, The breeze is sighing, the night bird's crying, For afar 'neath his star her brave is sleeping, While Red Wing's weeping her heart away. Sheet music is in good condition, The cover with all it’s colorful graphics and picture of Red Wing are beautiful and frameable a couple of tears at the top—all complete