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.
Yippi-Yi Yippi-Yo
Sons Of The Pioneers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
About the big corral where the dogies go
'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 "Come A Ti Yi Yippi Yi Yo" by Sons of the Pioneers is written from the perspective of an old cowhand from the Rio Grande who is a member of a cowboy band. He sings about his love for cowboy songs, and how he learned all of them on the radio. He plays multiple instruments in the band, including the fiddle, guitar, and bass. He even calls the dance when they perform at dances. The caller's chorus instructs the dancers to do the Dosie-do and swing their partner until they get tired, and then Allemande left.
The song captures the essence of cowboy culture and the importance of music and dance in their lives. It emphasizes the idea of community and brings people together through a shared love of cowboy music and dance. This is highlighted in the chorus when the cowhand sings about knowing all the songs that cowboys know and how he sings them in the cowboy band. It shows how music is a way to connect and unite people despite their differences.
Line by Line Meaning
Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay, Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay
An expression of enthusiasm and excitement
I'm an old cowhand from the Rio Grande
I am an experienced cowboy from the Rio Grande area
And I sing the songs in the cowboy band
I am a member of the cowboy band and I sing songs about cowboy life
Chorus:
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.
I know every song that the cowboys know about the corral and cattle. I learned them from the radio.
He's an old cowhand from the Rio Grande
And he plays the fiddle in the cowboy band.
He is an experienced cowboy from the Rio Grande area and he plays the fiddle in the cowboy band
He's an old cowhand from the Rio Grande
And he calls the dance in the cowboy band.
He is an experienced cowboy from the Rio Grande area and he is the one who calls the dance steps in the cowboy band
Dosie-do all around your pard
Swing that gal 'til she gits tired
Allemande left in your own backyard.
Dance with your partner by doing the dosie-do, then swing your partner until she gets tired, then do an allemande left step in your own yard.
He's an old cowhand from the Rio Grande
And he plays guitar in the cowboy band.
He is an experienced cowboy from the Rio Grande area and he plays the guitar in the cowboy band
He's an old cowhand from the Rio Grande
And he plays the bass in the cowboy band.
He is an experienced cowboy from the Rio Grande area and he plays the bass in the cowboy band
Oooeeeeoooooeeeeoooooaaaaaeeeeoooooo. (yodeling)
Oooeeeeoooooeeeeoooooaaaaaeeeeooooo. (yodeling)
Yodeling, a traditional cowboy style of singing
Yipee-yi-o-kie-yay, yipee-yi-o-kie-yay
An expression of enthusiasm and excitement
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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)