upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way
when all at once a mighty herd of red-eyed cows he saw
plowin through the ragid skies and up a cloudy draw
their brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steel
their horns were black and shiny and their hot breath 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 cries
chorus:
yippie i ohhh ohh ohh
yippie i aye ye ye
ghost riders in the sky
their faces gaunt, their eyes were blurred
their shirts all soaked with sweat
he's ridin hard to catch that herd
but he aint caught em yet
cause they got to ride forever in that range up in the sky
on horses snortin fire as they ride on hear their cries
as the riders loped on by him he heard one call his name
''if you wanna save your soul from hell a-ridin on our range
then cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ride
tryin to catch the devil's herd across these endless skies
yippie i ohhh oh oh
yippie i aye ye ye
ghost riders in the sky
ghost riders in the sky
ghost riders in the sky
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Most of Cash's music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. He was known for his deep, calm, bass-baritone voice, the distinctive sound of his backing band, The Tennessee Three, that was characterized by its train-like chugging guitar rhythms, a rebelliousness coupled with an increasingly somber and humble demeanor, and his free prison concerts. Cash wore a trademark all-black stage wardrobe, which earned him the nickname as the "Man in Black".
Born to poor cotton farmers in Kingsland, Arkansas, Cash grew up on gospel music and played on a local radio station in high school. He served four years in the Air Force, much of it in West Germany. After his return to the United States, he rose to fame during the mid-1950s in the burgeoning rockabilly scene in Memphis, Tennessee. He traditionally began his concerts by introducing himself with "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash". He began to follow that by "Folsom Prison Blues", one of his signature songs. His other signature songs include "I Walk the Line", "Ring of Fire", "Get Rhythm", and "Man in Black". He also recorded humorous numbers like "One Piece at a Time" and "A Boy Named Sue", a duet with his future wife June called "Jackson" (followed by many further duets after they married), and railroad songs such as "Hey, Porter", "Orange Blossom Special", and "Rock Island Line". During the last stage of his career, he covered songs by contemporary rock artists; among his most notable covers were "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails, "Rusty Cage" by Soundgarden, and "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode.
Cash is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 90 million records worldwide. His genre-spanning music embraced country, rock and roll, rockabilly, blues, folk, and gospel sounds. This crossover appeal earned him the rare honor of being inducted into the Country Music, Rock and Roll, and Gospel Music Halls of Fame. His music career was dramatized in the 2005 biopic Walk the Line, in which Cash was portrayed by American film actor Joaquin Phoenix.
