The band then began to take on a life beyond the confines of the television screen, releasing an album, Briefcase Full of Blues, in 1978, and then having a Hollywood film, The Blues Brothers, created around its characters in 1980.
After the death of Belushi in 1982, the Blues Brothers have continued to perform with a rotation of guest singers and other band members. Aykroyd reunited the original band in 1988 for a world tour and again in 1998 for a sequel to the film, Blues Brothers 2000. Aykroyd and the band, occasionally joined by Belushi's brother Jim, make regular appearances at musical festivals worldwide.
Riders in the sky
The Blues Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Upon a ranch he rested as he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd of red eyed cows he saw
A plowin' through the ragged sky and up the cloudy draw
Yippee-I-Yay
Yippee-I-Yo
Ghost Riders in the Sky
Their brands were still on fire and thier hoofs were made of steel
Their horns were black and shiney and thier hot breath he could feel
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky
For the saw the riders comin hard and heard their mortal cry
Yippee-I-Yay
Yippee-I-Yo
Ghost Riders in the Sky
Their faces gone, their eyes were blurred , their shirts all soaked with sweat
Their rindin' hard to catch that heard but they ain't caught em yet
Cause they got to ride forever in that range up in the sky
On horses snortin' fire... as they ride they hear their cry
Yippee-I-Yay
Yippee-I-Yo
Ghost Riders in the Sky
As the riders loped on by him, he heard one call his name
'If you want to save your soul from hell, you're ridin' on that range
then cowboy, change your ways today or with us you'll ride on
tryin' to catch the devil's herd across the endless sky'
Yippee-I-Yay (Yippee-I-Yay)
Yippee-I-Yo (Yippee-I-Yo)
Ghost Riders in the Sky
The lyrics of The Blues Brothers' song "Riders in the Sky" depict a classic Western cowboy tale of a man encountering a ghostly herd of cattle being chased by ghost riders in the sky. The song's opening lines describe an old cowpoke riding along a ranch and suddenly witnessing a massive herd of red-eyed cows galloping through the sky, led by riders who appear as ghostly figures. The scene is set with a sense of ominous danger as the cowpoke realizes the nature of the vision he has just encountered.
The verses of the song continue to describe the ghost riders - their horses snorting fire, their horns black and shiny, and their eyes blurred and faces gone. The cowpoke feels a bolt of fear as the riders thunder through the sky, intent on catching the devil's herd. As they pass him by, one of the riders calls out to him, warning him to change his ways or risk joining them in the afterlife on their endless ride across the sky.
The lyrics of "Riders in the Sky" convey themes of redemption and morality, with the cowpoke being warned that he must choose to live a righteous life or face damnation. The song's haunting melody and vivid imagery have made it a classic of the Western genre, and it has been covered by several artists over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
An old cow polk went ridin' one dark and windy day
An elderly cowboy went for a ride on a gloomy and windy day
Upon a ranch he rested as he went along his way
He took a break at a ranch while riding his horse
When all at once a mighty herd of red eyed cows he saw
Suddenly, he saw a huge group of fierce-looking cows with red eyes
A plowin' through the ragged sky and up the cloudy draw
The cows were moving through the sky, cutting through the clouds
Their brands were still on fire and thier hoofs were made of steel
The cows' hot iron brands were still glowing, and their hooves were like metal
Their horns were black and shiney and thier hot breath he could feel
Their horns were sleek and black, and he could feel the heat of their breath
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky
He got scared as the cows galloped through the sky with a loud noise
For the saw the riders comin hard and heard their mortal cry
He realized that ghostly cowboys were chasing the cows and heard their cries
Their faces gone, their eyes were blurred , their shirts all soaked with sweat
The cowboys' faces were missing, their eyes were blurry, and they were sweating a lot
Their rindin' hard to catch that heard but they ain't caught em yet
They were trying hard to catch the herd of cows, but they hadn't caught them yet
Cause they got to ride forever in that range up in the sky
The cowboys are doomed to ride in the sky forever
On horses snortin' fire... as they ride they hear their cry
Their horses breathe fire as they ride, and the cowboys can hear their own wailing
As the riders loped on by him, he heard one call his name
As the cowboys passed him, one of them called his name
'If you want to save your soul from hell, you're ridin' on that range
The cowboy was warned that if he continued down the current path, he would end up in hell
then cowboy, change your ways today or with us you'll ride on
He was urged to change his ways immediately, or he would be forced to join the ghost riders
tryin' to catch the devil's herd across the endless sky'
He would be stuck chasing the devil's herd in the sky for eternity
Yippee-I-Yay (Yippee-I-Yay)
An exclamation of excitement
Yippee-I-Yo (Yippee-I-Yo)
An exclamation of excitement
Ghost Riders in the Sky
Referring to the ghostly cowboys chasing the cows in the sky
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DukesMusic84
RIP John Belushi. Even without John's presence, the sequel was still lit 🔥
@jediknightgeo
No, no it wasn't.
@williamjackson5942
@@jediknightgeo Yes it was!
@AngelCatBaby
I agree, John Goodman was alright, hard to replace someone so well known like Belushi, especially after someone’s death or health problems keeps them from performing anymore.
@shrubby-ov4yw
Agreed. The hate/disregard received for his performance was not warranted AT ALL. There was failures in the movie, but not everything could solely be blamed on him
@user-tl9xh5rw1w
I know goodman and aykroyd were not the same as belushi and aykroyd but I think these two did great I think been even better if john belushi s brother jim belushi was in this
@kennyhagan5781
Thank you John Goodman for helping to make this happen. It was long overdue.
Cab Calloway lives forever in that great big concert hall in the sky.
@richardgordon3611
Loved the Blues Brothers all my life (I turned 70 last week) 👍🏻
@Russell-hd1pm
CONGRATS ! IM 67😊
@antoonfeyaerts6089
Love them for their crazy behaviour. Sorry. Miss some words to describe my love to them.