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.
Let Me Talk to You
Ray Price Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't live too fast forget the past and I will try to prove
I would do anything you want me to
Don't run around don't turn me down let me talk to you
Don't go too far with that crowd at the bar
That's not the way to win please fall in love again
Give me your heart so I can start to build our life anew
I know you've paid so if you're afraid let me talk to you
Don't go too far with that crowd...
Ray Price's Let Me Talk to You is a heartfelt plea from the singer to his beloved for one last chance to prove that he can be the man she deserves. The song begins with the singer asking for one more dance, using it as an opportunity to speak with her without hesitation. He promises to forget the past, to make amends for any wrongs he may have done, and to do anything she wants him to do. He then implores her not to run around or turn him down, but to let him talk to her. The singer then warns her not to go too far with the crowd at the bar, as he knows it's not the way to win and beseeches her to give him her heart, so he can start to build their life anew, assuring her that he understands her caution, but if she's afraid, he just wants her to know that he is here to talk to her.
Throughout the song, the emphasis is on the singer's heartfelt sincerity and desire to make things right. He acknowledges that there may be fears and hesitations on his love's part, but he is willing to work through them with honesty and open communication. Ultimately, the song is a powerful reflection of the importance of listening and talking in relationships, offering a message of hope and redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
Just one more dance just one more chance so I can talk to you
I am asking for one last chance to talk to you, possibly through a dance, before I lose the opportunity.
Don't live too fast forget the past and I will try to prove
Take it slow and let go of the past, and I promise to demonstrate my commitment and love for you.
I would do anything you want me to
I am willing to do anything to make things work between us and show you how much I care.
Don't run around don't turn me down let me talk to you
Please don't ignore me or reject me before I even get a chance to express myself and communicate with you.
Don't go too far with that crowd at the bar
Don't get too caught up with the people and activities at the bar, as it may lead to bad decisions with negative consequences.
That's not the way to win please fall in love again
Winning at life and love requires a different approach than the one you're currently taking. Please consider opening up your heart to love again.
Give me your heart so I can start to build our life anew
I'm asking for a chance to work together and build a better life and relationship starting with your heart.
I know you've paid so if you're afraid let me talk to you
I understand that you have been hurt and may be scared, but please allow me the opportunity to communicate my intentions and feelings with you.
[ steel - fiddle ]
Instrumental break.
Don't go too far with that crowd...
Reinforcing the message from earlier to not get too involved with negative influences or people that could harm our relationship.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANNY DILL, DON STEWART DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind