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.
The Lord's Prayer
Ray Price Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as in heaven
Give us today
Our daily bread
And forgive our sins
As we forgive
Each one of those
Who sins against us
And lead us
Not to the time of trial
But deliver us from evil
For Thine is the kingdom
The power and the glory
Let all the people
Say amen
In every tribe
And tongue
Let every heart's
Desire be joined
To see the kingdom come
Let every hope
And every dream
Be born in love again
Let all the world
Sing with one voice
Let the people
Say amen
The lyrics of Ray Price's song, The Lord's Prayer, are a recitation of the prayer that Jesus Christ taught his disciples, as recounted by the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible. The song begins with an address to God as our Father, who is in heaven, and a declaration of His hallowed name, which is to be revered and respected. The next lines of the prayer focus on God's kingdom and His will, asking that they be established on earth, just as they are established in heaven. The prayer then moves to a request for daily sustenance and for forgiveness of sins, as well as a commitment to forgiving those who have sinned against us. The plea ends with an appeal for guidance away from temptation and evil, affirming God's sovereignty over all things.
The lyrics of The Lord's Prayer express a profound message of faith and devotion to God that is timeless and universal. While some may perceive it to be a religious song that is specifically intended for Christian worship, others may appreciate the beauty and simplicity of the prayer's language and its message of hope and redemption. The song's final stanza encourages people of all nations and tongues to join together in praise and worship, inviting the creation of a common vision for a world founded on love, forgiveness and peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Our Father
Addressing God as our 'Father', acknowledging Him as the loving parent of humanity
Who art in heaven
God's abode is heaven, the dwelling place of angels and the saints
Hallowed be Thy name
Praising and honoring God's name, recognizing its significance and holiness
Thy kingdom come
Praying for the coming of God's kingdom on earth, where love and justice prevail
Thy will be done
Submitting to God's will, trusting in His wisdom and guidance
On earth as in heaven
Asking for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, where His will is perfectly executed
Give us today
Requesting God to give us our daily needs and the strength to face daily challenges
Our daily bread
Asking God to provide us with our daily sustenance, both physical and spiritual
And forgive our sins
Asking God to grant us forgiveness for our transgressions and shortcomings
As we forgive
Acknowledging that our forgiveness from God depends on our willingness to forgive others
Each one of those
Referring to all those who have wronged us and seeking to forgive them
Who sins against us
Asking for God's help in forgiving those who have hurt or wronged us
And lead us
Requesting God's guidance and protection in our daily lives
Not to the time of trial
Asking God to spare us from the trials and challenges that may test our faith
But deliver us from evil
Asking for God's help in avoiding or overcoming evil and temptation
For Thine is the kingdom
Acknowledging that God is the ultimate ruler and sovereign over all creation
The power and the glory
Recognizing God's omnipotence and magnificence
Let all the people
Inviting all people, regardless of tribe or tongue, to join the prayer
Say amen
Affirming the truth and significance of the prayer
In every tribe
Including everyone, regardless of their cultural or ethnic background
And tongue
Including everyone, regardless of what language they speak
Let every heart's
Inviting everyone's innermost desires and emotions to be part of the prayer
Desire be joined
Encouraging everyone's hopes and aspirations to be united under God's reign
To see the kingdom come
Praying for the realization of God's kingdom on earth
Let every hope
Inviting everyone's dreams and aspirations to be expressed
And every dream
Inviting everyone's visions for a better world
Be born in love again
Encouraging everyone to renew their love and compassion for one another
Let all the world
Including everyone and every place in the world
Sing with one voice
Calling for unity and harmony among all
Let the people
Refers to all humanity, not just select individuals or groups
Say amen
Affirming the prayer and committing to its ideals
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Richard Mullins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind