Ghost Riders in the Sky
Dean Martin Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

An old cowpoke went riding out one dark 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 ploughin' through the ragged skies
And up a cloudy draw.
Yippee-yi-ay, yippee-yi-o,
The ghost herd in the sky.
Their brands were still on fire and their hooves was made of steel,
Their horns wuz black and shiny and their hot breath he could feel,
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky,
For he saw the riders comin' hard
And he heard their mournful cry.
Yippee-yi-ay, yippee-yi-o,
Ghost riders in the sky.

Their faces gaunt their eyes were blurred and shirts all soaked
With sweat,
They're ridin' hard to catch that herd but they ain't caught them yet
'Cause they've got to ride forever on that range up in the sky,
On horses snortin' fire
As they ride on, hear their cry.
Yippee-yi-ay, yippee-yi-o,
Ghost riders in the sky.

As the riders loped on by him he heard one call his name,
"If you want to save your soul from hell a-riding on our range,
Then cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ride
A-try'ng to catch the devil's herd
Across these endless skies."
Yippee-yi-ay, yippee-yi-o,
The ghost herd in the sky.





Ghost riders in the sky.

Overall Meaning

The song Ghost Riders in the Sky, written by Stan Jones in 1948, tells the story of a cowboy who is on a dark and windy ride and suddenly sees a herd of ghostly cows with riders galloping through the skies with brands still on fire and hooves made of steel. The cowboy feels a bolt of fear as he hears the ghost riders' mournful cry and sees the riders coming hard. The riders are unable to catch and round up the devil's herd and are doomed to ride in the sky forever on horses snorting fire. While the cowboy watches the riders, one of them calls out to him and warns him to change his ways, or else he will join them in their endless ride.


The song is a classic western ballad with elements of the supernatural, and it's been covered by numerous artists, including Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and The Outlaws. The themes of redemption and the consequences of one's actions are present throughout the song. The ghost riders are doomed to ride forever, paying for the sins they committed in their lifetimes, while the cowboy still has a chance to change his ways and avoid a similar fate.


Overall, Ghost Riders in the Sky is a haunting tale with a Western feel that brings together the themes of morality, redemption, and supernatural elements in a unique way.


Line by Line Meaning

An old cowpoke went riding out one dark and windy day,
On a dark and windy day, an aged cowboy went for a ride on his horse.


Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way,
While on his journey, he took a break upon a ridge.


When all at once a mighty herd of red-eyed cows he saw,
Suddenly, he witnessed a huge herd of red-eyed cattle.


A ploughin' through the ragged skies
The cattle were soaring through the torn skies.


And up a cloudy draw.
They disappeared into a cloud-filled valley.


Yippee-yi-ay, yippee-yi-o,
Cowboy's excited expression.


The ghost herd in the sky.
The ghostly herd soared through the sky.


Their brands were still on fire and their hooves was made of steel,
The cattle still had burning marks and their hooves appeared to be forged from steel.


Their horns wuz black and shiny and their hot breath he could feel,
Their horns were dark and gleaming, and he could even feel the heat of their breath.


A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky,
He felt a sudden jolt of fear as the cattle thundered through the sky.


For he saw the riders comin' hard
He noticed the riders quickly galloping towards him.


And he heard their mournful cry.
He heard their sad and lamenting calls.


Ghost riders in the sky.
It was the ghost riders, soaring in the sky.


Their faces gaunt their eyes were blurred and shirts all soaked
The riders' faces appeared thin and their eyes were hazy. They also had sweaty shirts.


They're ridin' hard to catch that herd but they ain't caught them yet
They were riding fast to catch up with the cattle, but they hadn't captured them yet.


'Cause they've got to ride forever on that range up in the sky,
The riders were destined to ride across the range in the sky forever.


On horses snortin' fire
Their horses breathed fire.


As they ride on, hear their cry.
As they continue to ride, one can hear their sorrowful cries and wails.


The ghost herd in the sky.
The ghostly cattle continued to soar high.


As the riders loped on by him he heard one call his name,
As the riders passed him by, one called his name.


"If you want to save your soul from hell a-riding on our range,
The rider cautioned him about his soul being doomed if he rode on their range.


Then cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ride
He had to change his ways if he wanted to escape the fate of riding along with the ghost riders.


A-try'ng to catch the devil's herd
Trying to catch the herd of the devil.


Across these endless skies."
Across the never-ending skies.


Ghost riders in the sky.
The recurring phantom riders in the sky.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Stanley Jones

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Jackie Mcmeekin

Wow! I never knew he sang this sing. What a voice! What passion as he sings. Dean had an amazing voice. 🥰👍

Rivet Gardener

Never knew Deano sang this. Major, major good version of the song. His voice is amazing. I wish he wouldn't fade out.......today hardly anyone outside our age group knows about Dean Martin.

Dennis Alters

Wow what a great version showing Dean had a lot of hidden vocal power! I’m recalling how he would clown on power notes and push his eyeballs in

The Traveler

My favorite version of the song

My Aim Is Trash Gaming

Inspirations for riders on the storm, great song.

Leslie A West

Dean Martin, one of the Handsomest men ever, I loved his singing. I liked alot of his movies, esp. Westerns. He is missed

Юрий Шаненков

Прикрасная песня .

Bessie Knapper

Ghost Rider In the sky. He is so cool.

Людмила Дуброва

Очень люблю эту песню

Gunslinger1873

Deano, The King of Kool was the Best!

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