Marty Robbins Tells the Tale of the Ghost Riders in the Sky

It’s always great to take the time to listen to classic western songs. Their stories are magical and interesting. Life in the wild west may not be the usual life we have, but their stories are something worth taking the time to listen. One of the classic western songs known to many is the tale of the “Ghost Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend.”

Stan Jones, The “Ghost Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend”

The song was penned by Stan Jones in 1948. He said that the inspiration behind this wonderful and well-written song came from a story he heard when he was young. The story was told to him by an old Indian man from Arizona. It goes like this; when someone dies, their spirit leaves the body and goes to the sky. They stay up in the sky and become ghost riders. Doesn’t that sound hauntingly beautiful? Since Jones was a kid when he first heard the story, he was surely amazed by it.

After writing the song, Jones used the melody of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” for his creation.

Vaughn Monroe’s Cover

Jones story-telling skills not only made people love the song. His fellow singers and actors were all interested in recording the song. The song was first recorded in 1948, and it continued up to the present. The most notable version of this song was by Vaughn Monroe in 1949. He was accompanied by his Orchestra on his rendition. Furthermore, Monroe’s version was the first one to enter the Billboard chart.

Other Artists

Other artists who covered the song were Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Gene Autry, and more.

Marty Robbins’ Another Cowboy Song

However, we’re not going to take a look at all of the versions. Instead, we’re just going to listen to one version, and that is by Marty Robbins. Robbins is known for his Western and Cowboy ballads such as “El Paso” and “Big Iron.” He is definitely well-known for such kind of songs. And, since “Ghost Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend” is another song about a cowboy we expect his rendition to be stunning.

Here’s Robbins version of “Ghost Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend.”

What do you think of his version? Was it as great as his hit singles?