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.
There's A Round-Up In The Sky
Sons Of The Pioneers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get along dogies, there's a roundup in the sky.
Farewell old range, my work is through, there's a roundup in the sky,
I give my pony back to you, there's a roundup in the sky.
I'm gonna burn my brand on the silvery hide
Of a shootin' star and take a ride
To the land beyond the great divide, there's a roundup in the sky.
Get along dogies, up the trail high-tailed,
I see them gather round the moon, there's a roundup in the sky.
I guess they know I'll be there soon, there's a roundup in the sky.
I hate to leave old pals, but still
I just can't wait for the night until
I'll be herdin' stars with Buffalo Bill, there's a roundup in the sky.
Get along dogies, up the trail high-tailed, get along dogies, there's a roundup in the sky. Get along!
The song "There's a Round-Up In The Sky" by Sons Of The Pioneers is a classic Western tune that depicts the end of a cowboy's life. The lyrics convey the idea that the cowboy's work on the range is done, and he is about to take his last ride to the "land beyond the great divide." He bids farewell to his trusty horse and his old pals, and looks forward to gathering stars with Buffalo Bill.
The imagery presented in the song is rich and vivid, and it paints a picture of the old West that is both romantic and realistic. The use of phrases like "burn my brand on the silvery hide of a shootin' star" and "herdin' stars with Buffalo Bill" are particularly poignant, evocative of a life spent under open skies, working hard, and dreaming of something greater.
Overall, "There's a Round-Up In The Sky" is a beautiful and moving tribute to the cowboys of the old West, and the lifestyle and values they represented.
Line by Line Meaning
Get along dogies, up the trail high-tailed,
Hurry up, cattle, let's move out quickly and energetically,
Get along dogies, there's a roundup in the sky.
Move along, cattle, there is a gathering of stars happening in the sky.
Farewell old range, my work is through, there's a roundup in the sky,
Goodbye to the familiar terrain, my work here is done, and now there is a gathering of stars happening in the sky.
I give my pony back to you, there's a roundup in the sky.
I'm returning my horse to its former owner, and now there is a gathering of stars happening in the sky.
I'm gonna burn my brand on the silvery hide
I'm going to leave my mark on a shooting star by imagining it to be branded with my insignia.
Of a shootin' star and take a ride
I'm imagining riding a shooting star through the sky.
To the land beyond the great divide, there's a roundup in the sky.
I'm envisioning traveling to a place beyond the physical plane of existence where stars are collected in a gathering in the sky.
I see them gather round the moon, there's a roundup in the sky.
I observe stars gathering around the moon in the sky.
I guess they know I'll be there soon, there's a roundup in the sky.
I assume the stars know I'll join them soon in the gathering in the sky.
I hate to leave old pals, but still
Although I don't want to leave my old friends behind,
I just can't wait for the night until
I'm eagerly anticipating the night when
I'll be herdin' stars with Buffalo Bill, there's a roundup in the sky.
I'll be imagining myself gathering stars like Buffalo Bill did, and there is a gathering of stars happening in the sky.
Get along dogies, up the trail high-tailed, get along dogies, there's a roundup in the sky.
Hurry up, cattle, let's move out quickly and energetically because there is a gathering of stars happening in the sky. Move along!
Contributed by Daniel Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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)