Added: Aug 12, 2008

From: molesworthRAF

Duration: 5:52

"(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend" is a country and cowboy-style song. It was written on June 5, 1948 by Stan Jones. A number of versions were also crossover hits on the pop charts in 1949. It has been called by many the "best country/western song ever." The song is about a cowboy who has a vision of red-eyed, steel-hooved cattle thundering across the sky, being chased by the ghosts of damned cowboys. One warns him that if he does not change his ways he will be doomed to join them, forever "trying to catch the Devil's herd across these endless skies." The song's story seems to have a marked resemblance to the northern European mythic Wild Hunt. More than fifty different artists have recorded versions of this classic, with the most recent version of the song being performed by Children of Bodom, for their 2008 album Blooddrunk, with a thrash metal arrangement. Charting versions were recorded by Vaughn Monroe (with orchestra and vocal quartet), by Bing Crosby (with the Ken Darby Singers), Marty Robbins and by Johnny Cash. Other contemporary versions were recorded by Peggy Lee (with the Jud Conlon Singers), and by Spike Jones and his City Slickers, Gene Autry sang the song in his 1949 movie, "Riders in the Sky". This version was recorded by The Outlaws in 1980.

Channel: Music

Tags: country  jones  outlaws  rock  stan  vocal 

Rating: 4.64 (14 ratings)    Views: 4683' favoriteCount='15    Comments: 8