Price, born in Perryville, Texas, served with the U.S. Marines from 1944ā1946, 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 ā 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.
You Win Again
Ray Price Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That you've been seen, oh runnin' 'round
I know that I should go but then
I just can't go, you win again
Oh this heart of mine will never see
Oh what everybody knew but me
Just trustin' you was my great sin
Oh this heart of mine will never see
Oh what everybody knew but me
Just trustin' you was my great sin
Well what can I do, you win again?
In Ray Price's classic, "You Win Again," the singer has just discovered that his partner has been unfaithful, and the news is spreading throughout town. Despite knowing he should leave his partner for their infidelity, he finds himself unable to break free from the love that has bound him to this person. He acknowledges that he was foolish to have trusted them in the first place, but even with this knowledge, he still can't bring himself to leave. The final lines of the song, "Well, what can I do? You win again," show the singer's defeat and resignation to their partner's betrayal.
The lyrics of "You Win Again" showcase the universal themes of love, betrayal, and heartache that make it a timeless classic. The song's simple structure and powerful lyrics express the feelings that come with heartbreak, which have resonated with generations of listeners since its release. The song has been covered by various artists, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Williams, and the Rolling Stones. Each rendition puts its own spin on the song while still highlighting the moving lyrics and melody that make it a classic.
Line by Line Meaning
The news is out all over town
Everyone knows that you've been cheating on me
That you've been seen, oh runnin' 'round
There have been sightings of you with another person
I know that I should go but then
I understand that I should leave you
I just can't go, you win again
But I can't bring myself to do it, and you once again have the upper hand
Oh this heart of mine will never see
My emotions will never allow me to accept the truth
Oh what everybody knew but me
Everyone else was aware of your infidelity except for me
Just trustin' you was my great sin
My mistake was putting my faith in you and not realizing your deceitful ways
Well, what can I do you win again?
There's nothing I can do to change the situation, and you have won once more
Lyrics Ā© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frank Childs
I love Ray's version of this Hank Williams song. Ray does it in his own style, yet the steel guitar lick at the end harkens back to his mentor who was Hank himself. A great balance on Ray's part š š š
webbjr37
Been a ray Price since early 50s songs like (Talk To your Hart) (I'll Be There) and all the way through his life, Ray had several styles and did them all in fine style, Best voice ever
blacksheep624
Ray was good on them Hank William songs.
Eugene Horner
I can relate.