Ray Price is one of the well-known traditional country artists of his time. His breakout scene was during the ’50s alongside country legend Hank Williams.
This was also the first No. 1 hit song of the singer, and it helped him redefine the whole genre of honky-tonk sound. The song made it to the charts back in 1956 and was well-loved by country music fans. Let us look into the story of Ray Price and how the song came about.
via Screengrab from YouTube
Behind Ray Price’s Hit “Crazy Arms”
This country hit was not originally from the honky-tonk singer. Ralph Mooney was reportedly the one who penned this classic song. Ray Price was traveling around different states at that time because of his tour. One of the disc-jockeys, Bob Martin, was playing the song and Price heard it. He decided to record the song and then it topped the Billboard charts.
via Screengrab from YouTube
“Crazy Arms” was so popular that it spawned a lot of renditions from other country artists. Some of the notable names include Louis Armstrong, Chuck Berry, the Andrews Sisters, Gram Parsons, Patsy Cline, Waylon Jennings, Trini Lopez, Willie Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Marie Osmond, and the Jerry Garcia Band.
Along with his other hits, Ray Price made a name for himself. He was then inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame back in 1996 for his contributions to the industry.
Lyrics Breakdown
The song is a typical country ballad where the man sings about his sorrow. He was left by the person that he loved and he felt bitter about it. The silver lining of the track is the readiness of the singer to find a better love.
When faced with a hard breakup, the best thing to do is learn to accept the fact and move on. It does not get better immediately but time will heal all wounds. The faster we find someone who really loves us, the better the chance of finding our real happiness.
Listen to the song here: