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.
City Lights
Ray Price Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As far as I can see (ooh)
The great white way shines through the night (ooh)
For lonely guys like me (ooh)
The cabarets and honky-tonks (ooh)
Their flashing signs invite (ooh)
A broken heart to lose itself (ooh)
In the glow of city lights (ooh)
Lights that say forget her name
In a glass of sherry wine
Lights that offer other girls
For empty hearts like mine
They paint a pretty picture (ooh)
Of a world that's gay and bright (ooh)
But it's just a mask for loneliness (uhh)
Behind those city lights (uhh)
The world was dark (ooh)
And god made stars to brighten up the night
The god who put the stars above (ooh)
I don't believe made those lights (ooh)
Or it's just a place for men to cry (ooh)
When things don't turn out right (ooh)
Just a place to run away and hide (ooh)
Behind those city lights
Lights that say forget her love (ooh)
In a different atmosphere (ooh)
Lights that lure are nothing but (ooh)
A masquerade for tears (ooh)
They paint a pretty picture (ooh)
But my arms can't hold them tight (ooh)
And I just can't say I love you (ooh)
To a street of city lights (ooh)
"City Lights" is a song written by Bill Anderson that describes the beauty and allure of city life while acknowledging the emptiness it can bring. The singer sees a "bright array" of city lights stretching out before them, and while they are dazzling, he notes that they shine for "lonely guys like me." The chorus speaks to the many entertainments available in the city, including cabarets and honky-tonks, but suggests that they offer only temporary relief for a "broken heart." The second verse continues in the same vein, with the singer noting that the city lights offer illusions of love and connection but ultimately fall short.
The final verse gets more philosophical, suggesting that the world was created dark so that the stars could create beauty by shining brightly. The singer doubts that the city lights, however, are part of this same grand design, instead seeing them as a refuge for those who need to hide away from their troubles. Though the lights might offer the promise of new love or freedom, in the end, they only mask pain and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
A bright array of city lights (ooh)
The singer sees many bright lights in the city
As far as I can see (ooh)
The city lights stretch out for a long distance
The great white way shines through the night (ooh)
The main road is well-lit and bright all night
For lonely guys like me (ooh)
These lights are a source of comfort for people who are alone
The cabarets and honky-tonks (ooh)
The bars and clubs in the city
Their flashing signs invite (ooh)
The signs are encouraging people to come in
A broken heart to lose itself (ooh)
People with broken hearts can come here to forget their pain
In the glow of city lights (ooh)
The lights create a warm and inviting atmosphere
Lights that say forget her name
People can forget about the person who broke their heart
In a glass of sherry wine
Alcohol is a means of numbing the pain
Lights that offer other girls
The city offers plenty of other potential romantic partners
For empty hearts like mine
The artist is feeling alone and in need of companionship
They paint a pretty picture (ooh)
The city lights create an attractive scene
Of a world that's gay and bright (ooh)
The world seems happy and full of life
But it's just a mask for loneliness (uhh)
The lively appearance is just a disguise for the singer's lonely feelings
Behind those city lights (uhh)
The true emotions and struggles are hidden behind the bright lights
The world was dark (ooh)
In the past, the world didn't have these bright lights
And god made stars to brighten up the night
God created stars to light up the dark sky
The god who put the stars above (ooh)
The same God who created the stars in the sky
I don't believe made those lights (ooh)
The artist doesn't believe God created the city lights
Or it's just a place for men to cry (ooh)
The city can be a place for people to grieve or feel sad
When things don't turn out right (ooh)
People come to the city to escape from their problems
Just a place to run away and hide (ooh)
The city can be a temporary escape from reality
Lights that say forget her love (ooh)
People can forget about the person they loved
In a different atmosphere (ooh)
In the new environment of the city
Lights that lure are nothing but (ooh)
The lights that attract people are deceiving
A masquerade for tears (ooh)
The city is just a cover-up for people's sadness and heartbreak
They paint a pretty picture (ooh)
The city lights provide an attractive scene
But my arms can't hold them tight (ooh)
The artist feels disconnected from the people in the city
And I just can't say I love you (ooh)
The singer can't express their love in this environment
To a street of city lights (ooh)
The lights and city environment are not conducive for expressing love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bill Anderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@t4texastom587
So sorry for your loss,
Lawrence.
I too lost my sweet Dad
back in 2007.
He was born in '27, and
we both used to watch
those Saturday afternoon Country Music shows on TV
together. I definitely miss those days..... and I miss him.
Take care Buddy 👋🤠
Tom in 🇨🇱 Texas 🇨🇱
🎻🎸
@juliekroeger3625
I loved Ray Price's singing from the beginning to the end of his career
@justiceharrison5142
Hello there Julie nice meeting you here
@juliekroeger4275
One of my favorite country singers of all time.
@stacynewsom5888
Mineto
@lawrencetickle2706
My dad, born in 1935 and myself in 1985, would play this on vinyl. He passed away in April and this brightened my day.
@t4texastom587
So sorry for your loss,
Lawrence.
I too lost my sweet Dad
back in 2007.
He was born in '27, and
we both used to watch
those Saturday afternoon Country Music shows on TV
together. I definitely miss those days..... and I miss him.
Take care Buddy 👋🤠
Tom in 🇨🇱 Texas 🇨🇱
🎻🎸
@bettysmith1174
Ray Price is one of the greatest performers of all times
@justiceharrison5142
Hello there Betty nice meeting you here
@handy335
You just can't be Ray Price. Just great stuff!
@trevorslinkard31
I try to be Ray Price when I’m singing to the steering wheel lol