Red Roses for a Blue Lady (Remastered 2017)

Ghost

Riders In the Sky

Vaughn Monroe

Peak Billboard position # 1 in 1949

Monroe may not have sung it precisely this waybut a recording by him was not

Available so the words and music herein are taken from the sheet music as written

By Stan Jones

Monroes' version

As well as competing versions by Peggy Lee

# 2

Bing Crosby

#14

And Burl Ives

# 21

Were all charted as just Riders In the Sky

Later

The Ramrods took it to # 30 in 1961 with the parenthetical

Ghost

Added

As did the Baja Marimba Band

#52 in 1966

And The Outlaws

#31 in 1981

Lawrence Welk used the original title on his # 87 in 1961

An old cowpoke went riding 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

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 brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steel

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