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.
Sleepy Rio Grande
Sons Of The Pioneers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay, Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay
I'm an old cowhand from the Rio Grande
And I sing the songs in the cowboy band
Chorus:
I know all the songs that the cowboys know
'Cause I learned 'em all on the radio.
Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay, Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay
He's an old cowhand from the Rio Grande
And he plays the fiddle in the cowboy band.
--- Instrumental ---
Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay, yipee-yi-o-kie-yay
He's an old cowhand from the Rio Grande
And he calls the dance in the cowboy band.
Caller's Chorus:
Dosie-do all around your pard
Swing that gal 'til she gits tired
Allemande left in your own backyard.
Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay, yipee-yi-o-kie-yay
He's an old cowhand from the Rio Grande
And he plays guitar in the cowboy band.
--- Instrumental ---
Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay, yipee-yi-o-kie-yay
He's an old cowhand from the Rio Grande
And he plays the bass in the cowboy band.
--- Instrumental ---
Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay, yipee-yi-o-kie-yay
--- Instrumental ---
Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay, yipee-yi-o-kie-yay
Oooeeeeoooooeeeeoooooaaaaaeeeeoooooo. (yodeling)
Oooeeeeoooooeeeeoooooaaaaaeeeeooooo. (yodeling)
Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay, yipee-yi-o-kie-yay
The song "I'm an Old Cowhand" by Sons of the Pioneers is a classic cowboy song that paints a vivid picture of a seasoned rancher from the Rio Grande who sings and plays in a cowboy band. The chorus describes how the singer knows all the cowboy songs, and he learned them on the radio. The first verse establishes the fact that the singer is from the Rio Grande, which is a river that runs from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico, through New Mexico and Texas. The following verses describe the singer's involvement in the cowboy band, playing the fiddle and guitar, and calls the dance. He's a skilled entertainer who knows all the cowboy tunes and can keep the audience engaged in a dance.
The song's rhythm is captivating and energetic, like many cowboy songs, and the lyrics are simple and catchy. The tune's yodeling and harmonies add depth and character to the piece, making it an ideal sing-along or dance-along song. The song's overall message is that the life of a cowboy is exciting and enjoyable, and the act of entertaining others is just as important as ranch work.
Line by Line Meaning
Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay, Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay
The singer expresses excitement over being an old cowhand from the Rio Grande.
I'm an old cowhand from the Rio Grande And I sing the songs in the cowboy band
The singer declares that he is an experienced cowboy from the Rio Grande region who sings cowboy songs as part of a band.
I know all the songs that the cowboys know About the big corral where the dogies go 'Cause I learned 'em all on the radio.
The singer claims to know every cowboy song about the large enclosure where young cattle are kept, even though he only learned these songs from the radio.
He's an old cowhand from the Rio Grande And he plays the fiddle in the cowboy band.
The singer introduces another member of the cowboy band who is also an experienced cowboy from the Rio Grande and plays the fiddle.
Dosie-do all around your pard Swing that gal 'til she gits tired Allemande left in your own backyard.
The caller instructs the dancers to perform a particular dance pattern: promenade around their partner, swing their partner until she gets tired, and then perform a specific twirl.
He's an old cowhand from the Rio Grande And he plays guitar in the cowboy band.
Another member of the cowboy band is introduced, again an experienced cowboy from the Rio Grande, who plays the guitar.
He's an old cowhand from the Rio Grande And he plays the bass in the cowboy band.
Yet another member of the cowboy band is introduced, this time an experienced cowboy from the Rio Grande who plays the bass guitar.
Oooeeeeoooooeeeeoooooaaaaaeeeeoooooo. (yodeling)
The singer yodels a cowboy-style melody, adding to the overall western theme of the song.
Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay, yipee-yi-o-kie-yay
The singer repeats the refrain, repeating his expressions of enthusiasm about being a cowboy and a member of the cowboy band.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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Bill Akins
on The Devil's Great Grandson
"The Devil's Great Grandson" (Lyrics)
Recorded by Roy Rogers & The Son's Of The Pioneers
(Lyrics submitted by Bill Akins)
(The Devil's Great Grandson performed by the Sons Of The Pioneers and written by Bob Nolan. The tune was recorded in Los Angeles on December 14, 1937 and the group at that time was Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan, Lloyd Perryman and the Farr brothers.)
Old Skyball Paint was the devil's saint
His eyes were a fiery red
Good men have tried this horse to ride
And all of them are dead
Now I won't brag but I rode this nag
Till his blood began to boil
Then I hit the ground and ate three pound
Of good old western soil
Singin' Hi-ho lad don't you make me mad
I'm the devil's great grandson
And I'm doin' my best to tame the west
With my great big forty-four gun
(Light group harmony yodel)
I swore by heck
I'd break his neck for the jolt he gave my pride
I threw my noose on that old cayuse and once more took a ride
He turned around and soon
I found his tail where his head should be
So says says I Perhaps he's shy or he just don't care for me
Singin' Hi-ho lad don't you make me mad
I'm the devil's great grandson
And I'm doin' my best to tame the west
With my great big forty-four gun
(Only Roy Rogers STRONG yodeling, group harmony humming and ahhing along)
In town you see just to have a spree when
I meets old Sheriff Jim
With fistic fun and my big six-gun
I buys the town from him
For a whoop and a holler and a counterfeit dollar
Then I ask for a bill of sale
But my face turned red when the contract said just thirty days in jail
Singin' Hi-ho lad don't you make me mad
I'm the devil's great grandson
And I'm doin' my best to tame the west
With my great big forty-four gun
(Light group harmony yodel again)
Where the greasewood bats wear
Stetson hats and the bad men all run free
Where they sold the jail at a bargain sale
That's the land for me
Where the desert ants wear buckskin pants and help me rule the land
With the ants and the bats and my two gats
I'll rule with an iron hand
Singin' Hi-ho lad don't you make me mad
I'm the devil's great grandson
And I'm doin' my best to tame the west
With my great big forty-four gun
(Only Roy Rogers STRONG yodeling, group harmony humming and ahhing along)