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.
Danny Boy
Ray Price Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the roses are dying
It's you, It's you must go and I must bide
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
For I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
But when ye come and all the flowers are a dying
And if I am dead, dead I well may be
Just come and find, find the place
Find the place where I lay lying
And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me
And I will hear tho soft you tread above me
And my grave, my grave warmer and sweeter be
For you're gonna kneel and you're gonna tell
God you're gonna tell me how you loved me
And I will sleep in peace until you come to me
The song "Danny Boy" by Ray Price is a touching ballad about love and loss. The song is about a person named Danny who has to leave his love behind and go on a journey. The pipes, which are the bagpipes, are calling Danny and he must answer the call. The lyrics mention the beauty of the glens and the mountain side but quickly turn to the realization that summer is gone and the roses are dying. Danny's love must stay behind and it is a somber moment for both of them.
The song changes tone when the lyrics shift to hope that Danny will return to his love in the future. The changing of seasons is mentioned and how Danny should come back when either summer is in the meadow or when the valley is hushed and white with snow. The love of Danny's life assures him that she will be there for him, in sunshine or in shadow, and that she loves him deeply.
The last stanza of the song is quite touching. The lyrics mention that if Danny comes back and the love of his life is dead, he should find her resting place and say an "Ave" prayer for her. However, the love is sure that she will hear him when he comes to visit her grave and that she will sleep peacefully until he comes to her. The song ends with a sense of comfort and peace knowing that they will see each other again.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
Danny, the sound of the pipes is calling out to you
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The sound of the pipes echoes through the valleys and mountains
The summer's gone, and all the roses are dying
Summer has ended, and the flowers are wilting away
It's you, It's you must go and I must bide
You must leave, and I must stay behind
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Return to me when summer is at its peak
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
Or when the valley is quiet and covered in snow
For I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
I'll be here for you, no matter what happens
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so
I love you dearly, Danny
But when ye come and all the flowers are a dying
When you return and the flowers are dead
And if I am dead, dead I well may be
And if I have passed away
Just come and find, find the place
Find the place where I am laid to rest
Find the place where I lay lying
Find where my body lies
And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me
Kneel and say a prayer for me
And I will hear tho soft you tread above me
Even though I am gone, I will hear your footsteps above me
And my grave, my grave warmer and sweeter be
My final resting place will feel warmer and sweeter because of your visit
For you're gonna kneel and you're gonna tell
You will kneel and tell me
God you're gonna tell me how you loved me
How much you loved me
And I will sleep in peace until you come to me
I will rest in peace until you join me
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Traditional
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jl Mikeals
I've listened to Ray Price since back in the 60's, before I was a teen. I loved his voice then, and love it even more now.
There are many people that are on my list of great singers, but Ray Price is at the top of the list. Anytime I hear a Ray Price song I stop and listen. The times I play out in a band, I start the show with " Heartaches By The Numbers".
I remember when he passed. I went up to where many friends gather to make music together for our own enjoyment. We all agreed that one of, if not the greatest voice, had left us.
It's hard to believe you are gone. Even more unbelievable is that you could sing this song, so great, and in my opinion, better than anyone, so close to the end of your years.
RIP Ray Price. The man that could sing anything.
MrPACO317
"Danny Boy" is a ballad written by English songwriter Frederic Weatherly and usually set to the Irish tune of the "Londonderry Air". It is most closely associated with Irish communities;
Initially written to a tune other than "Londonderry Air", the words to "Danny Boy" were penned by English lawyer and lyricist Frederic Weatherly in Bath, Somerset in 1910. After his Irish-born sister-in-law Margaret (known as Jess) in the United States sent him a copy of "Londonderry Air" in 1913 (an alternative version has her singing the air to him in 1912 with different lyrics), Weatherly modified the lyrics of "Danny Boy" to fit the rhyme and meter of "Londonderry Air".
Weatherly gave the song to the vocalist Elsie Griffin, who made it one of the most popular songs in the new century; and, in 1915, Ernestine Schumann-Heink produced the first recording of "Danny Boy".
Jane Ross of Limavady is credited with collecting the melody of "Londonderry Air" in the mid-19th century from a musician she encountered.
Lyrics[edit]
"Danny Boy"
Ernestine Schumann-Heink (1917)
Problems playing this file? See media help.
1940 recording by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra on RCA Bluebird, B-10612-B.
There are a number of variations on these lyrics. This is the original version.
Oh, Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side,
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,
It's you, it's you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow,
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow,
It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow,
Oh, Danny Boy, oh Danny Boy, I love you so!
But when ye come, and all the flowers are dying,
If I am dead, as dead I well may be,
Ye'll come and find the place where I am lying,
And kneel and say an Ave there for me;
And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me,
And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be,
For you will bend and tell me that you love me,
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me...........Eddie
L.Russell Brown
No greater singer, has ever come out of country music.
And Ray's stirring performance of this forever classic tune,
will help keep this song alive for another 100 years
L.Russell Brown
@Doug Taylor
I once saw him perform this for Johnny Carson
Carson was teary-eyed
Ray was one of the greatest recording artists to ever live.
A unique sound
A superb delivery and a believable intensity
L.Russell Brown
Doug Taylor
Usually this song is covered by tenors, but I truly believe ray price’s baritone cover is one of the greatest of them all, I get chills hearing him hit the big notes. He was definitely one of the all time greats of American music of any genre, let alone just C&W.
Herb Houston
I listen to this a lot and every time it's like it's brand new, like I was hearing for first time. I'm 73 now and I can feel every word of this song. I've been a fan of Mr. Price for decades and I've never heard him sing a song that I didn't like. What an incredible talent and what a fine man. The way he can tell a story with his music is profound. I am so greatful for this being posted. I will miss him here in this world, but now he will sing forever.....
Rene Rogers
He's been one of my favorites since I was very young.
Abc 60 King
Herb you must be a good man. Ray had a voice that permeated the room - Clear, precision, heart felt and moist. Myself, well I am 64 Herb - God Bless you my dear man.
George Sutton
Herb I am also 73 and every time I listen to this the tears flow
Todd Peach
The world has lost a true legend, but will always appreciate his strong and meaningful voice. Thanks Mr. Price for being a true classic singer and exemplary gentleman.
Abe Gibson
One of the greatest voices ever. Northeast Texas guy who did it his way
JOHN MENUIS
One of the best songs ever written and Ray Price has the best rendition I have heard.