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.
Introduction And Theme
Ray Price Lyrics
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(Ray Price - Willie Nelson)
When the evening sun goes down
Hi neighbors it is sundown at our house
As we make this new Columbia album for you
We wanna thank you for being so nice on our last album
It was wonderful the way you accepted it
That we sing and play on our dancers across the country.
Songs that reflect the emotion of the people that live in the night life.
Songs of happiness sadness heartbreak songs of the night life
And we hope that you enjoy yourself tonight
As you'll listen to our latest songs.
This first song was written esepecially for me
By a boy from down in Texas, Willie and it accepted
So good on our dancers
We hope you like it, it's little different of what we normally do
Though we hope will be pleasant to you
So me and The Cherokee Cowboys
Are knockin' on your record player once more
And we hope that you can just kinda sit back kick off your shoes
And relax just a little bit and listen to our latest album
And if you'll like it tell us about it won't you
And we'll try to do more things for you the way we're doin' this one...
Night Life
(Willie Nelson - Paul Buskirk - Walt Breeland)
When the evening sun goes down
You will find me hanging round
Oh, the night life ain't no good life
But it's my life.
Many people just like me
Dreaming of old used-to-be
Oh, the night life ain't no good life
But it's my life.
Well, listen to the blues they're playin'
Yeah, listen to what the blues are sayin'
Mine is just another scene from the world of broken dreams
Oh, the night life ain't no good life
But it's my life.
--- Instrumental ---
Yeah, when the evening sun goes down
You will find me hanging round
Oh, the night life ain't no good life
But it's my life...
Ray Price’s Introduction And Theme begins with the artist expressing gratitude to the fans for their support with his last album. He highlights the emotions that come with night life and proceeds to introduce the first song of the album, Night Life, written by Willie Nelson. Price emphasizes that he and The Cherokee Cowboys have put some extra effort into this album and implore the fans to relax and enjoy the music. Night Life itself speaks to the experiences of those who live for the night as it highlights the broken dreams and the blues that come with it. The chorus reflects a certain resigned acceptance of this lifestyle as the singer acknowledges that the night life may not be a good life, but it is his life.
The theme of the song is in the title itself, Night Life, which emphasizes the lifestyle of those who come alive at night. It speaks to the emotional complexities that come with this lifestyle, times of happiness, sadness, and heartbreak all experienced during the night. Ray Price's Introduction, on the other hand, sets the tone for the entire album and highlights the emotions that influence the songs featured on it. The theme reflects on a specific lifestyle, but the message is universal as it relates to making peace with the choices one makes and the consequences that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
When the evening sun goes down
As the sun sets and darkness falls
Hi neighbors it is sundown at our house
The singer greets the listeners as if they were all neighbours.
As we make this new Columbia album for you
The song is being sung by Ray Price and his band, as they record a new album for the listeners.
We wanna thank you for being so nice on our last album
The band members express gratitude for the listeners' positive feedback on their previous album.
It was wonderful the way you accepted it
The band members are pleased with how well their last album was received by the listeners.
And tonight we've chosen some of the songs
The band has selected a few songs to play for the listeners.
That we sing and play on our dancers across the country.
The band has performed these songs for people who enjoy dancing all over the country.
Songs that reflect the emotion of the people that live in the night life.
These songs capture the feelings of people who live their lives at night.
Songs of happiness sadness heartbreak songs of the night life
The band is going to perform songs about joy, sadness, heartbreak that are associated with people who live their lives at night.
And we hope that you enjoy yourself tonight
The band hopes that their performance for the night will mesmerize the listeners.
As you'll listen to our latest songs.
The band is going to play their most recent songs.
This first song was written esepecially for me
The first song being played was written for the singer, Ray Price.
By a boy from down in Texas, Willie and it accepted
A talented young man from Texas named Willie wrote the song and Ray thinks it's great.
So good on our dancers
The band thinks this song is well suited for people who like to dance.
We hope you like it, it's little different of what we normally do
The band is trying something new and hopes the listeners will appreciate the change.
Though we hope will be pleasant to you
Even though it's a bit different, the band hopes their new song will be enjoyable for the listeners.
So me and The Cherokee Cowboys
The singer is accompanied by his band named The Cherokee Cowboys.
Are knockin' on your record player once more
This is the band's second time performing for the listeners.
And we hope that you can just kinda sit back kick off your shoes
The band wants the listeners to relax and enjoy the music worry free.
And relax just a little bit and listen to our latest album
The band wants the listeners to sit back and really listen to their newly released album.
And if you'll like it tell us about it won't you
The band members want to hear feedback from their listeners about their new album.
And we'll try to do more things for you the way we're doin' this one...
If their listeners appreciate the new album, the band will try to produce more music like this.
When the evening sun goes down
As night falls,
You will find me hanging round
The artist will be out and about at night
Oh, the night life ain't no good life
Living a life associated with the night time, particularly socializing and entertainment, can be seen as dangerous.
But it's my life.
The singer still chooses to engage in the night life, despite the risks involved.
Many people just like me
The singer is not the only one who spends their nights socializing and being entertained.
Dreaming of old used-to-be
People involved in the night life might often reminisce about the past.
Well, listen to the blues they're playin'
The artist urges the listeners to listen to the blues music, which often reflects people's feelings of heartache and sorrow.
Yeah, listen to what the blues are sayin'
The singer wants the listeners to really pay attention to the lyrics of the blues songs.
Mine is just another scene from the world of broken dreams
The singer's experience is just another example of how people's dreams and hopes are often broken in the night life.
Oh, the night life ain't no good life
Despite the pain and disappointment that might come from living life at night, the artist continues to choose that lifestyle.
But it's my life.
The night life is still preferred by the artist, even with its associated risks.
--- Instrumental ---
A musical interlude follows.
Yeah, when the evening sun goes down
As darkness falls once again.
You will find me hanging round
The artist will likely still be out and about at night
Oh, the night life ain't no good life
The singer is aware that the life they lead is associated with potential danger and disappointment
But it's my life...
Despite the hardships that might come with it, the singer still prefers the night life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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