The Sons of the Pioneers did several songs for the John Ford movies Wagon Master (in 1949) and Rio Grande in (1950).
The six members who made the Sons of the Pioneers famous in the late 1930s with their close-harmonied western style music were elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980. In 1995, they were inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
In 1977, the Smithsonian designated the Sons of the Pioneers as "national treasures". Through many changes to the line-up, the Sons of the Pioneers have continued to perform.
Empty Saddles
Sons Of The Pioneers Lyrics
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There's a breeze, though the wind has died
Though I'm alone in the old corral
Seems there is someone at my side
Empty saddles in the old corral
Where do you ride tonight?
Are you roundin' up the dogies, the strays of long ago
Empty saddles in the old corral
Where do you ride tonight?
Are there rustlers on the border, or a band of Navajo
Are you headin' for the Alamo?
Empty guns covered with rust
Where do you talk tonight?
Empty boots covered with dust
Where do you walk tonight?
Empty saddles in the old corral
My tears will be dried tonight
If you'll only say I'm lonely as you carry my old pal
Empty saddles in the old corral
There is no smoke, still the fires burn,
There's no song, still I hear guitars,
There is no dust, still the ghosts return
Softly to vanish through the bars
The Sons of the Pioneers' song "Empty Saddles" is a haunting tribute to fallen cowboys of the Old West. The song, written in the 1930s by Billy Hill, captures the loneliness and emptiness left behind after a cowboy's death. The lyrics speak of something strange in the old corral, and though the singer is alone, it seems someone is with him. The empty saddles in the corral are a reminder of the cowboys who have passed on, and the singer wonders where they are riding tonight.
The chorus of the song asks where the cowboys are riding, whether they are rounding up dogies or chasing buffalo, or perhaps heading towards the Alamo. The second verse speaks of empty guns covered in rust and empty boots covered in dust, asking where the cowboys are talking and walking tonight. The third verse is particularly poignant, as the singer asks the cowboys to tell him that he's not alone as they carry his old pal away, and promises that his tears will be dried tonight.
Line by Line Meaning
There's something strange in the old corral
I feel an eerie presence in this place
There's a breeze, though the wind has died
I sense a force moving around me, even though the surroundings appear still
Though I'm alone in the old corral
Even though no one is physically present, I feel like there is someone with me
Seems there is someone at my side
I strongly believe that there is someone, although I cannot see them
Empty saddles in the old corral
There are no riders, no horses in sight
Where do you ride tonight?
Where are you, my friends?
Are you rounding up the dogies, the strays of long ago
Are you herding the lost cattle, the ones that wandered far away from the herd?
Are you on the trail of buffalo?
Are you chasing the big beasts, just like we used to do before?
Are there rustlers on the border, or a band of Navajo
Are there any outlaws or Native Americans causing trouble near the frontier?
Are you heading for the Alamo?
Are you on some dangerous mission, perhaps to protect our homeland?
Empty guns covered with rust
Nobody uses the weapons anymore, they are now just memorabilia
Where do you talk tonight?
Where are you, my friends?
Empty boots covered with dust
Nobody wears the boots anymore, they are now just relics of the past
Where do you walk tonight?
Where are you, my friends?
My tears will be dried tonight
I will soon stop crying
If you'll only say I'm lonely as you carry my old pal
If you could only comfort me by telling me that you are lonely too, since you are carrying my dear companion
Empty saddles in the old corral
There are no riders, no horses in sight
There is no smoke, still the fires burn
Even though there is no visible sign of activity, there are still things happening beneath the surface
There's no song, still I hear guitars
Even though nobody is singing or playing music, I can still hear it in my head
There is no dust, still the ghosts return softly to vanish through the bars
Even though everything is clean and tidy, the memories of the past still haunt me, although they gradually fade away
Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: BRENNEN HILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
barryb83110
My dad would sing this to me as I sat in his lap on a very high porch just before bedtime. One of my first memories.
Pete Sakes
Great song ✝️🇺🇸💪🤠
Arnold Lausch
They were so good!❤️
Charlie Barton
In the sequel to Derek Robinson's Piece of Cake, the pilots of Hornet Squadron (only two pilots remaining of the original crew from 2 years earlier) keep playing this song on their gramophone.
This is how I learned of this song. Great stuff.
ResidentWeevil
Exactly the same thing brought me here! Robinson's best book by a country mile IMHO.
Charlie Barton
That's awesome. Thanks for writing that. Gave me a smile.
I started reading Piece of Cake when I was in the 5th grade and finished it in the 6th, but after I was finished I could read a novel in a week and then faster.
I'm not sure a child should read Robinson, but I think it made me think of war in a way that was always very different.
JohnBoy
such a great book
L N M
That's exactly why I am here too. GCF is my favourite Robinson but I'm a massive fan of the lot. Especially the RFC novels. Can be difficul reading at times, the attrition of characters is very hard, can't imagine what it was really like in the squadrons with so many 'going west'. Nice to see some fellow appreciators in this rather unlikely place.
Hargravity
I'm here for the same reason.
musicmandon1
We had this on an LP, but this recording is clearly of a much older vintage. This came off a 78, I'd bet on it. Even if you have it on a CD, the original master for this was a 78, and one in good condition. This is a terrific arrangement, though different from the one on the LP, which came out in the '60s.