Riders In The Sky
Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra Lyrics
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Upon a ridge 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 skies and up a cloudy draw
Yi-pi-yi-ay, Yi-pi-yi-o
Ghost riders in the sky
Their horns wuz black and shiny and their hot breaths he could feel
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky
For he saw the riders comin' hard and he heard their mournful cry
Yi-pi-yi-ay, Yi-pi-yi-o
Ghost riders in the sky
Their faces gaunt, their eyes were blurred, and shirts all soaked with sweat
They're ridin' hard to catch that herd but they ain't caught them yet
They've got to ride forever in that range up in the sky
On horses snortin' fire, as they ride on, hear their cry
Yi-pi-yi-ay, Yi-pi-yi-o
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 a' ridin' on our range"
"Then cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ride"
"A-tryin' to catch the Devil's herd across these endless skies."
Yi-pi-yi-ay, Yi-pi-yi-o
Ghost riders in the sky
Ghost riders in the sky
"Riders In The Sky" by Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra is an interesting song that was first released in 1949. The song tells the story of an old cowpoke who rode out on a dark and windy day. As he rode on a ridge, he saw a mighty herd of red-eyed cows plowing through the ragged skies and up a cloudy draw. These were the ghost riders in the sky. Their brands were still on fire, and their hooves were made of steel. As they thundered through the sky, the old cowpoke felt a bolt of fear go through him. He saw the riders coming hard, and he heard their mournful cry.
The ghost riders in the sky were riding hard to catch a herd that they had not caught yet. Their faces were gaunt, and their eyes were blurred. Their shirts were all soaked with sweat. They had to ride forever in that range up in the sky. On horses snorting fire, they rode on, and anyone who heard their cry could tell that they were on a mission. As the riders loped on by him, the old cowpoke heard one call his name. The rider warned the old cowpoke that if he did not change his ways, he would end up riding with them, trying to catch the Devil's herd across these endless skies.
Line by Line Meaning
An old cowpoke went riding out one dark and windy day
On a dark, windy day, an old cowboy went horseback riding.
Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way
He stopped on a ridge while he was traveling.
When all at once a mighty herd of red-eyed cows he saw
Suddenly, he saw a herd of red-eyed cows.
A'plowin' through the ragged skies and up a cloudy draw
They were moving swiftly through the sky and disappearing into a cloud-filled area.
Yi-pi-yi-ay, Yi-pi-yi-o Ghost riders in the sky
The cowboy saw 'ghost riders in the sky,' and this is a refrain that repeats throughout the song.
Their brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steel
The ghost riders' horses had flaming brands and hooves that appeared to be made of steel.
Their horns wuz black and shiny and their hot breaths he could feel
Their horns were black and shiny, and the cowboy could feel their hot breath.
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky
The cowboy was terrified as they thundered through the sky.
For he saw the riders comin' hard and he heard their mournful cry
He saw the ghost riders coming hard and heard their sorrowful cries.
Their faces gaunt, their eyes were blurred, and shirts all soaked with sweat
The ghost riders had worn faces, blurry eyes, and sweat-soaked shirts.
They're ridin' hard to catch that herd but they ain't caught them yet
They were riding hard to catch a herd of cows but had not caught them yet.
They've got to ride forever in that range up in the sky
They must continue to ride in the sky range forever.
On horses snortin' fire, as they ride on, hear their cry
Their horses were snorting fire, and the cowboy could hear their cries as they rode on.
As the riders loped on by him, he heard one call his name
As they rode by, one of the ghost riders called the cowboy's name.
"If you want to save your soul from hell a' ridin' on our range"
The rider warned the cowboy to change his ways if he wanted to avoid riding in their range.
"Then cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ride"
He urged the cowboy to change his ways immediately, lest he end up riding with them.
"A-tryin' to catch the Devil's herd across these endless skies."
The ghost riders were attempting to catch the Devil's herd in the endless skies.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Stanley Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@expojett
An old cowpoke went ridin' out one dark and windy day,
Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd of red eyed cows he saw
Come rushin' through the ragged skies and up a cloudy draw.
Yipie i ay Yipie i oh
Ghost riders in the sky
Their brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steel
Their horns were black and shiny and their hot breath you could feel
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky
He saw the riders coming hard... and he heard their mournful cry
Yipie i ay Yipie i oh
Ghost riders in the sky.
Their face is gaunt their eyes were blurred their shirts all soaked with sweat
They're ridin' hard to catch that herd but they 'aint caught 'em yet
'cause they've got to ride forever in the range up in the sky
On horses snorting fire as they ride hard hear them cry
Yipie i ay Yipie i oh
Ghost riders in the sky.
The riders leaned on by him he heard one call his name
If you want to save your soul from hell a riding on our range
Then cow-boy change your ways today or with us you will ride
Tryin' to catch this devil herd.... a-cross these endless
skies.
Yipie i ay Yipie i oh
Ghost riders in the sky.
Ghost riders in the sky.
Ghost riders in the sky.
@robertduff9058
In my humble opinion this is
the best version of the classic
Ghost Riders In The Sky.
Vaughan Monroe.
Thankyou👍👍✌
@joedidonato6977
Had goosebumps when I first heard it 73 years ago. Got 'em again just now.
@kennethjobson7978
me too it was only 72 years ago (yesterday)
@kamikazesoviet
I could only imagine the feeling. What a blessing to hear this at any time, any age
@jefffriedberg
Vaughan Monroe OWNS this tune!!!! I remember hearing it as a little kid in South Philly.
@philipgermani1616
One of the greatest recordings of all time.
@spinningbackspin
Don't you think it is like your conscience talkin to you? Clean up your act, young man?
@laurapriest8257
Hey Ya'll! When I was little, I lived with my Grandmother and she had an old trunk where she kept certain memorabilia. In this trunk she had a 78rpm recording of this song sung by Vaughn Monroe. I love this man. He was a legend. Thanks for reading my post and ya'll be safe and be well!😊
@robertyoung5061
Sounds as good now as it did 67 years ago! Thanks for posting this timeless classic!
@KeepItBrick
Robert Young 69 now