Nelson began his entertainment career in 1949, playing himself in the radio sitcom series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1952, he appeared in his first feature film, Here Come the Nelsons. In 1957, he recorded his first single ("I'm Walkin' b/w "A Teenager's Romance", Verve 10047X4S), debuted as a singer on the television version of the sitcom, and released the No. 1 album titled Ricky. In 1958, Nelson released his first #1 single, "Poor Little Fool", and in 1959 received a Golden Globe nomination for "Most Promising Male Newcomer" after starring in Rio Bravo. A few films followed, and when the television series was cancelled in 1966, Nelson made occasional appearances as a guest star on various television programs. In his twenties, he moved away from the pop music of his youth, and began to perform in a more country rock style. After recording several albums with mostly session musicians, most of which flopped, he formed the Stone Canyon Band in 1969 and experienced a career resurgence, buoyed by the live album In Concert at the Troubadour, 1969 and had a surprise hit with 1972's "Garden Party", which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. His comeback was short-lived, however, as his record label was bought out and folded, and his followup albums were not well promoted by his new label. He continued to perform live and take small television roles through the 1970s, though his label dropped him by the end of the decade. He released two more albums, with unimpressive results, before his death in a plane crash on New Year's Eve, 1985.
Nelson was married once, to Sharon Kristin Harmon, from 1963 until their divorce in 1982. They had four children: actress Tracy Nelson, twin sons and musicians Gunnar and Matthew, and actor Sam.
Nelson was born on May 8, 1940, in Teaneck, New Jersey. He was the second son of entertainment couple Harriet Hilliard Nelson (born Peggy Lou Snyder; July 18, 1909 – October 2, 1994) and Ozzie Nelson (March 20, 1906 – June 3, 1975). His father Ozzie was of half Swedish descent. The Nelsons' older son was actor David Nelson (October 24, 1936 – January 11, 2011).
On May 8, 1961 (his 21st birthday), he officially modified his recording name from "Ricky Nelson" to "Rick Nelson". His childhood nickname proved hard to shake, especially among the generation who had watched him grow up on "Ozzie and Harriet". Even in the 1980s, when Nelson realized his dream of meeting Carl Perkins, Perkins noted that he and "Ricky" were the last of the "rockabilly breed".
In 1963, Nelson signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records. After some early successes with the label, most notably 1964's "For You" (#6), Nelson's chart career came to a dramatic halt in the wake of Beatlemania, The British Invasion, and later the Counterculture era. However, instead of dropping him, Decca kept him on board.
In the mid-1960s, Nelson began to move towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre. He was one of the early influences of the so-called "California Sound" (which would include singers like Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt and bands such as Eagles). Yet Nelson himself did not reach the Top 40 again until 1970, when he recorded Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" with the Stone Canyon Band, featuring Randy Meisner, who in 1971 became a founding member of the Eagles, and former Buckaroo steel guitarist Tom Brumley.
Nelson died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1985, flying from Guntersville, Alabama, to Dallas, Texas, for a concert. The plane he was on, a Douglas DC-3, had a history of mechanical problems. All seven passengers, including Blair, died. Only the two pilots survived.
Nelson's funeral took place at the Church of the Hills, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery, on January 6, 1986, and he was privately buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery, in Los Angeles. His estate was bequeathed to his children.
My Rifle My Pony And Me
Ricky Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The cattle go down to the stream
The redwing settles in the nest
It's time for a cowboy to dream
Purple light in the canyons
That's where I long to be
With my three good companions
Just my rifle, pony and me
Gonna hang (gonna hang) my sombrero (my sombrero)
On the limb (on the limb) of a tree (of a tree)
Coming home (coming home) sweetheart darling (sweetheart darling)
Just my rifle, pony and me
Just my rifle, my pony and me
(Whippoorwill in the willow
Sings a sweet melody
Riding to Amarillo)
Just my rifle, pony and me
No more cows (no more cows) to be roping (to be roping)
No more strays will I see
Round the bend (round the bend) she'll be waiting (she'll be waiting)
For my rifle, pony and me
For my rifle, my pony and me
Ricky Nelson's "My Rifle My Pony and Me" is a song about a cowboy's dream of spending his time in the canyons with his rifle, pony, and three good companions. The song is a representation of freedom, simplicity, and the cowboy spirit. The first stanza talks about the ending of the day where the sun is setting, and the cattle are being taken to the stream. The redwing bird is settling in its nest, and it's time for the cowboy to dream. The next line represents the cowboy's longing to be in the canyons where the purple light is shining. He is dreaming of spending his time there with his three companions and the only things he needs, his rifle and pony.
The second stanza is a promise that the cowboy makes to his sweetheart, that he will come back to her with his rifle and pony, and all he needs is a tree to hang his sombrero. He talks about the sweet melody sung by the whippoorwills in the willow. In the last stanza, the cowboy talks about his desire to stop being a cowboy and settle down with his sweetheart, where he won't have to rope cows or see strays anymore. Instead, he'll have his rifle and pony, and she'll be waiting for him "round the bend."
"My Rifle My Pony and Me" was sung by Ricky Nelson and co-written by Dimitri Tiomkin, Ned Washington, and Paul Francis Webster. It was originally recorded for the 1959 western film "Rio Bravo" and was performed as a duet between Ricky Nelson and Dean Martin. The song was such a hit that it was later performed by other musicians and used in other western films in the 1950s and 60s like "The Magnificent Seven."
Line by Line Meaning
The sun is sinking in the west
The day is ending and night is approaching
The cattle go down to the stream
The cows are heading to the river to drink water
The redwing settles in the nest
The bird has found its resting place for the night
It's time for a cowboy to dream
The tranquility of the night sets in and a cowboy can finally relax and dream
Purple light in the canyons
The purple hues of the evening fill the canyons
That's where I long to be
The cowboy wishes to be amidst the beautiful scenery of the canyons
With my three good companions
The cowboy wants to be with his rifle, his pony and himself
Just my rifle, pony and me
The cowboy doesn't want anyone else's company other than his faithful rifle, his trusted pony and himself
Gonna hang (gonna hang) my sombrero (my sombrero)
The cowboy will rest his hat on a nearby tree
On the limb (on the limb) of a tree (of a tree)
The hat will hang on a branch of a tree
Coming home (coming home) sweetheart darling (sweetheart darling)
The cowboy is returning to his beloved
Just my rifle, pony and me
The cowboy only needs his rifle, his pony and himself to come home to his sweetheart
(Whippoorwill in the willow
A whippoorwill perched on a willow tree
Sings a sweet melody
Singing a beautiful tune
Riding to Amarillo)
The cowboy rides towards Amarillo
No more cows (no more cows) to be roping (to be roping)
The cowboy doesn't have to rope any more cows
No more strays will I see
The cowboy won't encounter any more stray cows
Round the bend (round the bend) she'll be waiting (she'll be waiting)
Around the turn, his sweetheart will be waiting for him
For my rifle, pony and me
With just his rifle, his pony and himself, he will be reunited with his sweetheart
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DIMITRI TIOMKINE, PAUL FRANCIS WEBSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind