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.
Fallin' Fallin' Fallin'
Ray Price Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fallin', fallin', fallin' just for you
My eyes are burnin', darlin', while my heart is sad and yearnin'
Yearnin', yearnin', burnin' just for you
You didn't have to go and leave me all alone
I'm sure you think that breakin' hearts is fun
But someday you may find out when your new love is gone
I need you with me, darlin', always with me, darlin'
Need you, need you, need you, I'm so blue
Oh, hear my callin', darlin', and stop these tears from fallin'
Fallin', fallin', fallin' just for you
My heart is breakin', darlin', and many tears are fallin'
Fallin', fallin', fallin' just for you
My eyes are burnin', darlin', while my heart is sad and yearnin'
Yearnin', yearnin', burnin' just for you
You didn't have to go and leave me all alone
I'm sure you think that breakin' hearts is fun
But someday, you may find out when your new love is gone
That deep down in your heart, I'm still the one
I need you with me, darlin', always with me, darlin'
Need you, need you, need you, I'm so blue
Oh, hear my callin', darlin', and stop these tears from fallin'
Fallin', fallin', fallin' just for you
The lyrics to Ray Price's song "Fallin' Fallin' Fallin'" describe the singer's heartbreak after being left by their lover. The lyrics use repetition and parallel structure to emphasize the depth of the singer's sadness and longing. The repeated phrase "fallin', fallin', fallin'" creates a sense of falling deeper into sadness and heartbreak. The repetition of "darlin'" also emphasizes the closeness and intimacy the singer once shared with their lover. The lyrics suggest that the singer feels abandoned and hurt by their lover's decision to leave, and they hope that their lover will realize the mistake they made and come back to them.
The lyrics also suggest that the singer believes their love is stronger than their lover's newfound love. They say that their lover may discover, once their new love is gone, that the singer has always been the one for them. This line reveals the singer's hope that their lover will return, but also their sense of frustration and sadness that their lover did not see their true worth before leaving.
Overall, the song is a classic country ballad about heartbreak and longing. The lyrics use poetic language and repetition to create a sense of depth and emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart is breakin', darlin', and many tears are fallin'
I am deeply saddened by your departure and my emotions are overwhelming me with tears.
Fallin', fallin', fallin' just for you
My tears are specifically for you and the pain you have caused me.
My eyes are burnin', darlin', while my heart is sad and yearnin'
My sorrowful heart is longing for you while my eyes hurt from crying.
Yearnin', yearnin', burnin' just for you
My desire for you is intense, and my heart is burning with love.
You didn't have to go and leave me all alone
It was not necessary for you to leave, causing me to feel isolated.
I'm sure you think that breakin' hearts is fun
You may think it is amusing to hurt others and cause them pain.
But someday you may find out when your new love is gone
One day, you may realize the consequences of your actions when your current lover leaves you.
That deep down in your heart, I'm still the one
You will come to the realization that I am the one you truly love deep down.
I need you with me, darlin', always with me, darlin'
I crave your presence and desire for you to be with me always.
Need you, need you, need you, I'm so blue
I am feeling down and melancholy because I am in dire need of your affection and company.
Oh, hear my callin', darlin', and stop these tears from fallin'
Please listen to my plea and come back to me, so my tears can dry.
Fallin', fallin', fallin' just for you
My tears will continue to flow until you return, as they are a result of my love for you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bud Deckelman, J. Miller, Joe Guillot
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind