Ghostriders In The Sky
Die Apokalyptischen Reiter Lyrics
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Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way,
When all at once a mighty herd of red-eyed cows he saw,
A plowin through the ragged skies, and up the cloudy draw.
Yip-i-ya-a, Yip-i-ya-o, Ghost riders in the sky.
Their brands were still on fire and their hoofs were made of steel.
Their horns were black and shiny and their hot breath he could feel.
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky.
For as he saw the riders comin hard, he could hear their mournful cry.
Yip-i-ya-a, Yip-i-ya-o, Ghost riders in the sky.
Their face were gaunt, their eyes were blurred,
Their shirts all soaked with sweat,
They're riding hard to catch that herd, but they ain't caught him yet.
They've got to ride forevermore on the range up in the sky,
On horses snorting fire and as they ride, I hear them cry.
Yip-i-ya-a, Yip-i-ya-o, Ghost riders in the sky.
And as the riders loped on by he heard one call his name,
If you want to save your soul from hell a ridin on the range,
Then cowboy better change your ways or with us you will ride,
Trying to catch the devil's herd across the endless skies.
Yip-i-ya-a, Yip-i-ya-o, Ghost riders in the sky.
The song "Ghostriders In The Sky" by Die Apokalyptischen Reiter is a rendition of an old cowboy song. The lyrics tell the story of an old cowpoke who goes out riding one hot and windy day and sees a herd of red-eyed cows plowing through the ragged skies. These are the "ghost riders in the sky" that the song refers to. The cowpoke sees that their horns are black and shiny and their hot breath he can feel. As they ride past him he can hear their mournful cry. He is overcome by fear as he realizes the riders are not normal cowboys, but they are actually the souls of the damned. They are riding hard to catch the devil's herd across the endless skies, and they must ride forevermore on the range up in the sky on horses snorting fire.
As the cowpoke watches the ghost riders ride by, one of them calls out his name and tells him that if he wants to save his soul from hell and riding on the range, then he better change his ways. This is a warning that the cowpoke needs to become a better person and live a better life if he wants to avoid the same fate as the ghost riders.
The song's lyrics are a reflection of the Western culture, where cowboy mythology is prevalent, and ideas of the afterlife and eternal damnation are common themes. The haunting melody of the song and the lyrics describing the riders stuck a chord with the audiences, and the song has become a popular choice for Western-themed events such as rodeos and cowboy conventions.
Line by Line Meaning
An old cowpoke went riding out one hot and windy day,
One old cowboy went out for a ride on a hot and windy day.
Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way,
He took a rest on a ridge as he traveled.
When all at once a mighty herd of red-eyed cows he saw,
Suddenly, he saw a massive herd of menacing red-eyed cows.
A plowin through the ragged skies, and up the cloudy draw.
They were plowing through the sky, and moving up through a hazy area.
Yip-i-ya-a, Yip-i-ya-o, Ghost riders in the sky.
This cowboy saw ghostly cowboys riding around in the sky, and he sings their chant.
Their brands were still on fire and their hoofs were made of steel.
The cowboys' branding marks were ablaze, and their feet were steel.
Their horns were black and shiny and their hot breath he could feel.
These cowboys had black and shiny horns, and the old cowboy felt the heat of their breath.
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky.
He got scared when he heard the cowboys like a loud thunder.
For as he saw the riders comin hard, he could hear their mournful cry.
He heard their sad cries as the fast riders approached.
Their face were gaunt, their eyes were blurred,
Their faces looked sick and their eyes were blurry.
Their shirts all soaked with sweat,
Their shirts were soaked with sweat.
They're riding hard to catch that herd, but they ain't caught him yet.
They were dedicated to capture the herd, but they could not take them yet.
They've got to ride forevermore on the range up in the sky,
These cowboys ride infinitely on the sky's range.
On horses snorting fire and as they ride, I hear them cry.
Their horses snort fire, and their cry can still be heard.
And as the riders loped on by he heard one call his name,
One of the ghostly cowboys called out his name as they passed.
If you want to save your soul from hell a ridin on the range,
The cowboy was warned to change his wicked ways to escape going to hell.
Then cowboy better change your ways or with us you will ride,
The cowboy was informed that he would accompany the ghost riders if he did not mend his ways.
Trying to catch the devil's herd across the endless skies.
The ghost riders are trying to catch the devil's herd across the endless skies.
Yip-i-ya-a, Yip-i-ya-o, Ghost riders in the sky.
They sing their chant once more after delivering their warning.
Contributed by Tristan T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alfredo Castilla Hernández
An old cowpoke went riding out one hot and windy day
Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd of red-eyed cows he saw
A plowin through the ragged skies, and up the cloudy draw
Yip-i-ya-a, Yip-i-ya-o, Ghost riders in the sky
Their brands were still on fire and their hoofs were made of steel
Their horns were black and shiny and their hot breath he could feel
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky
For as he saw the riders comin hard, he could hear their mournful cry
Yip-i-ya-a, Yip-i-ya-o, Ghost riders in the sky
Their face were gaunt, their eyes were blurred
Their shirts all soaked with sweat
They're riding hard to catch that herd, but they ain't caught him yet
They've got to ride forevermore on the range up in the sky
On horses snorting fire and as they ride, I hear them cry
Yip-i-ya-a, Yip-i-ya-o, Ghost riders in the sky
And as the riders loped on by he heard one call his name
If you want to save your soul from hell a ridin on the range
Then cowboy better change your ways or with us you will ride
Trying to catch the devil's herd across the endless skies
Nick R
Ghost Riders in the Sky is such a kick.ass song. the fact that it can be transcribed in tons on many genres and still be just as awesome is a testament to how good it is.
PowerSkunk92
"Cowboy Metal" HAS to exist beyond a hundred covers of Ghost Riders in the Sky. It HAS to! Doesn't it?
Egoleech
try Ghoultown ;)
Simon G
egoleech Yep, and Rebel meets Rebels ^^
Escalope Salade
Pantera?
AuruM
Check out Desperados - The Dawn of Dying for a solid Western thrash album.
deathshadow6661
Hank 3
marcel hachsler
Ich bekomm bei dem Lied IMMER Gänsehaut zu Geil !!!!!!!!!
Keith Holm
vastly under rated band. Great cover
Crooked Marionette
I love Die Apokalyptischen Reiter... And I love Ghost Rider so... This is perfect for me <3