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.
Deep Water
Ray Price Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm starting to care for you
And you're getting me in deep water
Be careful what you do
You want a romance
And I'm sick in love
I know I'll regret it when it ends
Why can't we still be friends
It's so restless in this deep water
And I'm caught between right and wrong
My love's as true as deep water
Your love won't last that long
Where will it lead me and when will it end
I can't help but wish I only knew
And I'm drifting into deep water
So deep in love with you
I'm winding up in deep water
So deep in love with you
The lyrics of Ray Price's song Deep Water describe a state of being emotionally involved with someone who may not reciprocate the same level of feelings. The singer is expressing his concerns that he is starting to care for someone who only wants a romance and may not be in it for the long haul. By using the metaphor of deep water, the singer is implying that his emotions and feelings are getting too intense and he is losing control. He knows that he will regret getting involved with this person once it ends, but still feels drawn towards them.
The lyrics also depict the dilemma of being caught between right and wrong. The singer knows that his love is true like deep water, but doubts the longevity of the other person’s affections. He wonders where his emotions will lead him and when it will all end. In essence, the lyrics suggest that the singer is in a vulnerable state of mind, where he can no longer control his feelings, and is at the mercy of his emotions.
Overall, the lyrics of Deep Water convey the message of being in a state of emotional confusion, where the desire for love surpasses rational thinking. The singer knows the potential consequences of getting involved with someone who may not share the same level of affection, but still feels drawn towards them due to the intensity of his emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm drifting into deep water
I'm entering into uncharted territory in my relationship with you, and it makes me uneasy.
I'm starting to care for you
I'm beginning to have serious feelings for you, which is a deviation from my normal emotional state.
And you're getting me in deep water
Your actions or personality are causing me to get in deeper than I intended to be.
Be careful what you do
Please be mindful of your actions, because they have a huge impact on my emotional state.
You want a romance
Your expectation from me is to have a romantic relationship, but I'm struggling with what I want.
And I'm sick in love
I'm fully immersed in feelings of love but am not sure it's a good thing for me.
I know I'll regret it when it ends
I'm aware that this relationship may not have longevity, and it's likely to cause me pain in the future.
Why can't we still be friends
Perhaps it's better if we maintain a platonic relationship, given how complicated feelings are getting.
It's so restless in this deep water
I'm feeling unsettled and out of my depth with my emotions.
And I'm caught between right and wrong
I'm conflicted about whether being in love with you is right or wrong.
My love's as true as deep water
My feelings for you are genuine and sincere, like deep water.
Your love won't last that long
I sense that your love for me might not be as enduring as mine.
Where will it lead me and when will it end
I'm worried about how this relationship will ultimately turn out and when it will come to an end.
I can't help but wish I only knew
It would be a great relief for me if I knew what the future held for us.
And I'm drifting into deep water
I'm falling deeper into this relationship, even though I don't know what the outcome will be.
So deep in love with you
Despite all the uncertainty and anxiety, I find myself deeply in love with you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Fred Rose, Don Grusin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gunner16ga
cant beat this pair for true talent
@louiesmanes5474
I LOVE HIS MUSIC I LISTENING TO IT ALL THE TIME
@UlloMark
LOVE THIS... from a great album...
@tw200hottie
i want to hear the whole album
@randyclark2352
this makes me want get on the dance floor
@santoralong45
Marsha Thornton sung this song better than any artist! Her voice and the words/music are fantastic together. She needs to re record it today!
@BrickPa
Originally a Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys tune with Tommy Duncan's vocal. But isn't it interesting that Ray helped Willie establish his career and Willie returned the favor in Ray's later years.
@terryb3388
Thank you for uploading this ... you get it
@honestbutugly
same here , great album! !
@glipzik
This is a very good rendition, however imo no one injects life into this song like Carl Smith. Give a listen.