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.
Grazin' In Greener Pastures
Ray Price Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Anytime the love's waters grow cold and deep
A grass gets short and then begins to fade
I just go and search of greener fields with taller grass to reap
And shallow water where the man can wade
And you'll find me grazin' in greener pastures
Haven't got a care to cloud my mind
I'm grazin' in greener pastures
Livin' on love and laughter
And the grass is gettin' greener all the time
My fields have no boundaries fences or gates
And the pleasures that grow there grow wild and free
You can graze but don't forget I like my pastures green
And when the weeds began to grow I always leave
And you'll find me grazin' in greener pastures livin' on love and laughter
Haven't got a care to cloud my mind
And you'll find me grazin' in greener pastures
Livin' on love and laughter
Haven't got a care to cloud my mind
I'm grazin' in greener pastures
Livin' on love and laughter
And the grass is gettin' greener all the time
[ steel ]
Now and then my mind goes back to other grass
And the many fields that I have left behind
And I like to think that where I've been I can always go again
And find the gate open to me anytime
you'll find me grazin' in greener pastures
Livin' on love and laughter
Haven't got a care to cloud my mind
I'm grazin' in greener pastures
Livin' on love and laughter
And the grass is gettin' greener all the time
And the grass is gettin' greener all the time
The song "Grazin' In Greener Pastures" by Ray Price is a heartwarming ballad about a person who seeks love and happiness by wandering through the fields in search of greener pastures whenever their present love life becomes unsatisfactory. The person in the song believes that whenever love grows cold and deep, the grass gets shorter and begins to fade but instead of lamenting, the individual chooses to go in search of greener fields with taller grass to reap and shallow waters they can wade. This serves as a metaphor for seeking new and better romantic opportunities. The person doesn't care about material wealth or societal constraints; instead, they value love and laughter, which are the true sources of happiness.
Verse two conveys that the person's fields have no boundaries, fences or gates, and the pleasures there grow wild and free. The individual is flexible in their love life but has standards. They like their grass green and when the weeds begin to grow, the person is more than willing to leave in search of better pastures. In the final verse, the person reflects on their past relationships and thinks of all the fields that they have left behind. They believe that they can always return to these fields and find the gate open to them anytime because they have left on good terms.
Overall, the song is a beautiful reminder that love is essential for a happy life and it encourages listeners to seek greener pastures whenever their love life is not going in the right direction. It also highlights the importance of not settling for less when it comes to love.
Line by Line Meaning
Anytime the love's waters grow cold and deep
Whenever the affection in the relationship diminishes
A grass gets short and then begins to fade
The joy and happiness in the relationship start to wither away
I just go and search of greener fields with taller grass to reap
I look for new and better opportunities to find happiness and contentment
And shallow water where the man can wade
I seek simple and uncomplicated situations where I can be happy
And you'll find me grazin' in greener pastures
I will be enjoying a new and better chapter of my life
Livin' on love and laughter
I will be living a life full of love and joy
Haven't got a care to cloud my mind
I will be carefree and devoid of worries
My fields have no boundaries fences or gates
My life has no restrictions or limitations
And the pleasures that grow there grow wild and free
I will experience unbridled and unrestricted happiness
You can graze but don't forget I like my pastures green
Others can enjoy what I am experiencing, but they should know my preference
And when the weeds began to grow I always leave
I will move on when the negativity or unpleasantness comes along
Now and then my mind goes back to other grass
Occasionally, I remember my past experiences
And the many fields that I have left behind
I reminisce the opportunities that I have let go of
And I like to think that where I've been I can always go again
I believe that I can revisit my past to experience something I have left behind
And find the gate open to me anytime
I can always go back to the opportunities I have let go of
And the grass is gettin' greener all the time
My life is getting better with every opportunity I take and every experience I have
Lyrics © ALMARIE MUSIC
Written by: RAY PENNINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind