Price, born in Perryville, Texas, served with the U.S. Marines from 1944–1946, and began singing for KRBC in Abilene, Texas during 1948. He joined the Big D Jamboree in Dallas in 1949. He relocated to Nashville in the early 1950s, rooming for a brief time with Hank Williams. When Williams died, Price managed his band, the Drifting Cowboys, and had minor success. He was the first artist to have a success with the song "Release Me" (1954), a top five popular music hit for Engelbert Humperdinck in 1967.
In 1953, Price formed his band, the Cherokee Cowboys. Among its members during the late 1950s and early 1960s were; Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, Darrell McCall, Van Howard, Johnny Paycheck and Johnny Bush, Buddy Emmons, Pete Wade, Jan Kurtis, Shorty Lavender and Buddy Spicher. Miller wrote one of Ray Price's classics in 1958, "Invitation to the Blues", and sang harmony on the recording. Additionally, Nelson composed the Ray Price song "Night Life".
Price became one of the stalwarts of 1950s honky tonk music, with hit songs such as "Talk To Your Heart" (1952) and "Release Me". He later developed the famous "Ray Price Shuffle," a 4/4 arrangement of honky tonk music with a walking bassline, which can be heard on "Crazy Arms" (1956) and many of his other recordings from the late 1950s.
During the 1960s, Ray experimented increasingly with the so-called Nashville sound, singing slow ballads and utilizing lush arrangements of strings and backing singers. Examples include his 1967 rendition of "Danny Boy", and "For the Good Times" in 1970 which was Price's first country music chart No. 1 hit since "The Same Old Me" in 1959. Written by Kris Kristofferson, the song also scored No. 11 on the popular music chart and featured a mellower Price backed by sophisticated musical sounds, quite in contrast to the honky tonk sounds Price had pioneered two decades before. Price had three more No. 1 country music successes during the 1970s: "I Won't Mention It Again", "She's Got To Be A Saint", and "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me." His final top ten hit was "Diamonds In The Stars" in early 1982. Price continued to have songs on the country music chart through 1989. Later, he sang gospel music and recorded such songs as "Amazing Grace", "What A Friend We Have In Jesus", "Farther Along" and "Rock of Ages."
In 2006, Price was living near Mount Pleasant, Texas and still performing in concerts throughout the country. In 2009, Price made two performances for the Fox News show Huckabee. The first was with the Cherokee Cowboys and host Mike Huckabee, and he performed "Crazy Arms" and "Heartaches By The Number". Weeks later he performed with the Cherokee Cowboys and Willie Nelson (again with Huckabee playing bass guitar). This time they performed duets of "Faded Love" and "Crazy."
Price worked on his latest album, Last of the Breed, with fellow country music singers Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. This album was released on March 20, 2007 by the company Lost Highway Records. The two-disc set features 20 country classics as well as a pair of new compositions. The trio toured the U.S. from March 9 until March 25 starting in Arizona and finishing in Illinois. This was Price's third album with Nelson and first album with Haggard. After the tour, Haggard remarked, "I told Willie when it was over, 'That old man gave us a goddamn singing lesson.' He really did. He just sang so good. He sat there with the mic against his chest. And me and Willie are all over the microphone trying to find it, and he found it."
On November 6, 2012, Ray Price confirmed that he was fighting pancreatic cancer. Price told the San Antonio Express-News that he had been receiving chemotherapy for the past six months. An alternative to the chemo would have been surgery that involved removing the pancreas along with portions of the stomach and liver, which would have meant a long recovery and stay in a nursing home. Said Price, "That's not very much an option for me. God knows I want to live as long as I can but I don't want to live like that." The 87-year-old Country Music Hall of Famer also told the newspaper, "The doctor said that every man will get cancer if he lives to be old enough. I don't know why I got it – I ain't old!" Price retained a positive outlook and hoped to play as many as a hundred concert dates in 2013.
As of early February 2013, the cancer appeared to be in remission. Sometime in May 2013, Price was hospitalized with severe dehydration. On December 2, 2013, Price entered a Tyler, Texas, hospital in the final stages of pancreatic cancer, according to his son, then left on December 12 for home hospice care. Price died at his home in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, on December 16, 2013.
Are You Sure
Ray Price Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you sure that this is where you want to be
These are your friends but are they real friends do they love you the same as me
Are you sure that this is where you want to be
You seem in such a hurry to live this kind of life you caused so many tears and misery
Look around you take a good look and tell me what you see
Are you sure that this is where you want to be
[ steel ]
But lately teardrops seem a part of me
So look around you and take a good look at all the lonely used to be
Are you sure that this is where you want to be
In Ray Price's song 'Are You Sure', the singer is warning an individual not to be fooled by the seemingly friendly atmosphere of the barroom and the people gathering there. The singer asks the individual to take a closer look at these people around them and question their true intentions. The singer contends that while these people may be classified as 'friends', they may not have the individual's best interests at heart. The refrain 'Are you sure that this is where you want to be' is repeated throughout the song to emphasize the singer's concern for the individual's well-being.
Throughout the rest of the song, the singer highlights the negative impact that the individual's reckless and 'hurried' lifestyle has caused. The singer suggests that it is causing 'tears and misery' and begs the individual to reconsider their choices. The song concludes with the singer urging the individual to take a closer look at the 'lonely used to be' people littered throughout the bar, who may serve as a warning to the individual's eventual fate if they do not change their course.
Overall, the song is powerful in its intention to remind individuals that it is important to question the true intentions of those around them and consider the long-term consequences of their choices. It also serves as a cautionary tale about the allure of the barroom lifestyle and the facade of friendship it can sometimes present.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh look around you look down the barroom the lonely faces that you see
Take a good look at the sad and forlorn people in this bar
Are you sure that this is where you want to be?
Are you positive that you want to spend your time here?
These are your friends but are they real friends do they love you the same as me
These might be acquaintances, but are they true friends who care about you like I do?
Are you sure that this is where you want to be
Are you really convinced that this is how you want to spend your life?
You seem in such a hurry to live this kind of life you caused so many tears and misery
You appear to be rushing into a lifestyle that has caused so much pain and sorrow.
Look around you take a good look and tell me what you see
Observe your surroundings and tell me if you find anything fulfilling or worthwhile.
Are you sure that this is where you want to be
Are you completely confident that this is where you belong?
[ steel ]
Instrumental break
Don't let my tears persuade you I had hoped I couldn't cry
Please don't let my sadness influence your decision. I never expected to be so emotional.
But lately teardrops seem a part of me
However, lately crying has become a regular occurrence for me.
So look around you and take a good look at all the lonely used to be
I ask you to take a good look at all the people here who are forgotten and left behind.
Are you sure that this is where you want to be
Ask yourself one more time before you decide if this is truly where you want to spend your time and energy.
Contributed by David B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.