the Ramrods-(Ghost) Riders In The Sky lyrics

Ghost) Riders In the Sky   
 
  
  Vaughn Monroe   
 
  
    
 
  
  Peak Billboard position  
 # 1 in 1949   
 
  
  Monroe may not have sung it precisely this  
 way but 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