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.
Time
Ray Price Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never get to love you long just your memory
And I make a vow each time you leave that this will draw the line
Then you come back and just like now I'm falling one more time
One more time my lips may kiss you
One more time my arms will hold you
But it won't belong until you're gone with a mem'ry left behind
Your nearness makes me weaken and I give into you
And I'm doing all the things I said that I wouldn't do
And I make a vow each time you leave that this will draw the line
Then you come back and just like now I'm falling one more time
One more time my lips may kiss you
One more time my arms will hold you
But it won't belong until you're gone with a mem'ry left behind
And I just know that when you go I'll be lonely one more time
The lyrics to "One More Time" by Ray Price explore the complex emotions of being in love with someone who continually leaves, yet always manages to return. The singer expresses confusion about the power this person holds over them, never being able to fully move on and always falling back into the same cycle. They acknowledge that they only get to love this person through memories, as they never stay for long, but still find themselves unable to resist them when they come back.
The song opens with the singer wondering what this person's power over them is, expressing frustration with their inability to break free from the pattern of falling in love and then being left alone again. They make a vow every time the person leaves that they won't fall back into the same pattern, but each time they return, the singer finds themselves falling for them "one more time." The chorus highlights the emotional pull of this person, with the singer admitting that they will kiss and hold them "one more time," knowing that it won't be long until they leave again and another lonely period begins.
The second verse continues to explore the singer's vulnerability to this person, with their physical presence weakening their willpower, and causing them to do things they promised they wouldn't. Despite acknowledging that this will leave them lonely again, they are unable to resist, and the cycle continues. Overall, the lyrics of "One More Time" capture the emotional turmoil of being drawn to someone who continually leaves, and the struggle to break free from that pattern of hurt and loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
I wonder what the power is that you hold over me
I'm curious about the control you have over my emotions and thoughts
I never get to love you long just your memory
I'm never able to have a long-lasting relationship with you, only memories of our time together
And I make a vow each time you leave that this will draw the line
Every time you go, I promise myself that it's over between us
Then you come back and just like now I'm falling one more time
But when you return, I find myself falling for you again, even though I promised not to
One more time my lips may kiss you
One more time I may kiss you
One more time my arms will hold you
One more time I'll embrace you
But it won't belong until you're gone with a mem'ry left behind
But it won't be long until you leave me again with only memories left behind
And I just know that when you go I'll be lonely one more time
And I know that when you leave, I'll be lonely once again, just like before
Your nearness makes me weaken and I give into you
Being near you makes me lose my strength and I give in to your influence
And I'm doing all the things I said that I wouldn't do
I'm doing all the things I promised myself I wouldn't do when it comes to you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mel Tillis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vic.h.Wiebe
This is another one of Ray's great songs that never got the attention it deserved. I just love the TRUTH of this song. Thank you.... Chilliwack.
webbjr37
Ray Price-The best voice ever, I've been a Ray Price Fan since 51, loved the early Stuff, the mid stuff,and the last, No one can deliver a song like Ray
Thanks
eugene hechler
you got that right!
Bobbie Earle
LISTEN TO THE LYRICS. IT GIVES ME CHILLS. IT IS SO TRUE AND ONE RECOGNIZES IT THE OLDER WE BECOME. I PLAY THIS VERSION OVER AND OVER. ONLY RAY PRICE CAN SING IT SO WONDERFULLY.
Tess Stuart
I have the pleasure of seeing Ray in a number of concerts. My husband was a Country disc jockey at WJJD in the late 60's and early 70"s. Said he was the most down to earth singer and a true "country gentlemen"
webbjr37
This sounds like it could have been written by Willie,Any way its a great song done by one of the best voices ever
Vic.h.Wiebe
The words to this song are so TRUE, Ray does it so well, Love the song and singer. Thank You. - Chilliwack
Abe Gibson
Ray sings this at almost every show. Yep ya listen to this and realize a lot of things
Shirley Wolfe
so true
Lewis S Burleson
Great song and as always he sang it fantastic