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.
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Ray Price Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord
O come, all ye faithful joyful and triumphant
O come, ye , O come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him, born, The King Of Angels
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him
Sing choirs of angels, sing in exultation
Sing all ye citizens of heaven above
Glory to God in the highest glory
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord
Ray Price's rendition of "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" is a reimagining of the classic hymn that expresses a deep sense of reverence for Jesus Christ, the Lord. The opening lines, "O come, let us adore Him," set the tone for this song of worship that calls on all faithful believers to join together in praise and adoration. The repetition of this phrase throughout the song reinforces the message that Christ is worthy of our adoration and devotion, no matter what the circumstances of our lives may be.
The next set of lines, "O come, all ye faithful joyful and triumphant," speak to the idea that we can find joy and triumph in our faith in Christ. The reference to Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus connects us to the story of His miraculous birth and underscores the power and wonder of God's love for us. The phrase "Come and behold Him, born, the King of Angels" emphasizes the majesty and divinity of Jesus Christ and invites us to experience His presence and grace in our lives.
The final verses of the song call on angels and citizens of heaven to join in singing glory to God in the highest. These lines highlight the universal significance of Christ's birth and reinforce the message that Christ is the Lord of all, worthy of the highest praise and adoration. In essence, Ray Price's rendition of "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" works as a powerful hymn of praise that encourages believers to celebrate the miracle of Christ's birth and to draw closer to Him in worship.
Line by Line Meaning
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him
Let us worship and give reverence to Jesus Christ, the Lord
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord
Join in on the worship of Jesus Christ, who is our Lord and Savior
O come, all ye faithful joyful and triumphant
All of us who believe, come forth with joy and a sense of triumph
O come, ye , O come ye to Bethlehem
Make your way to Bethlehem and join the celebration
Come and behold Him, born, The King Of Angels
See the newborn King of Angels with your own eyes
Sing choirs of angels, sing in exultation
All the angelic choirs, sing with great joy and praise
Sing all ye citizens of heaven above
All of the citizens of Heaven above, sing along in celebration
Glory to God in the highest glory
Highest glory and honor belong to God
Lyrics © Rudi Schedler Musikverlag GmbH
Written by: John Francis Wade
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind