Talk:(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend/Archive 1

Intro
I changed the intro which had said the song was borderline between country and pop. Just because a song is a crossover hit doesn't mean it's any less representative of its genre. The song is quite clearly cowboy country, and has much much less pop influence (if any) than a majority of what's considered country today. ENpeeOHvee 05:43, 16 June 2006 (UTC)

Johnny Cash?
Just curious, but why is there so much stuff about Johnny Cash at the bottom of this article? (Links to his albums, singles, etc.) If I understood correctly, Cash did a version of Riders In The Sky, but the song isn't originally his, is it? So why all the Cash links at the bottom? (RagingR2 20:16, 12 September 2006 (UTC))
 * ? where? --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 20:30, 12 September 2006 (UTC)
 * I take it that means you don't see them. :) Well, at least on my screen, I see them between the external links and the category links at the bottom. Anyone else? RagingR2 21:52, 12 September 2006 (UTC)
 * Oh! I think I'm somewhat immune to seeing those big boxes! Removed; thanks. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 14:21, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Restored

 * The Youtube version by Cash has been restored. This is on 14/3/2007.

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 87.74.62.19 (talk) 12:36, 14 March 2007 (UTC).

Move/Retitle
Shouldn't this be titled (Ghost) Riders in the Sky??? Most songs that start with a parenthetical are named this way in the Wikipedia. I think it ought to be moved; I'm going to enter a WP:RQM. -- DrGaellon (talk | contribs) 14:13, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Requested move
Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend → (Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend — This is the actual full title of the song, as it appears in the first sentence of the text. DrGaellon (talk | contribs) 14:20, 27 March 2007 (UTC)


 * In the absence of any opposition, this article has been moved from Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend to (Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend as the result of a move request. --Stemonitis 14:37, 1 April 2007 (UTC)

A Cowboy Legend?
where does this part of the name come from? I've never heard of it before --66.134.52.222 01:33, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

when i was a kid i read a book with ghost stories from the old west, compiled by the german author frederik hetman, and in this book was a story called ghost riders in the sky, the songlyrics are basically the story compressed. stan jones wrote this song when 34, based on a story an old cowhand had told him (and scared him with) when he was a little boy riding out on the range w the old gentleman. that is all i know, hope i was able to help you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Redneckmormon (talk • contribs) 15:58, 3 November 2007 (UTC)

I also heard a story about Stan Jones' inspiration for this song coming from an old legend he was told about ghosts of cowboys doomed to chase the devil's cattle herd in the skies forever. Why isn't this mentioned in the article at all? --72.202.139.108 (talk) 22:10, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

SAM Missiles
It is highly unlikely that the performers of SAM Song were unaware of the terrorist connotations. Just read the article, the song talks about being an IRA member and about an IRA plan of shooting down helicopters. There's not much left for speculation, that's what the song is about. And regardless, saying that "there's no evidence that the performers were aware" is highly weasel-ish. There's no evidence that they were aware to it? Well, there's no evidence that they weren't either, so why even bother suggesting either way? 85.64.125.211 21:54, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

What about the Sons of the Pioneers?
That's the version I'd certainly call the most famous! I don't have the details, but I'm very surprised not to find it listed here.

--A.G. Pym

I am surprised there is no mention of C-130's in here
When C-130's rolled out in 1954 they were nicknamed Ghost Rider's due to the song. I still have one of the original C-130 Hercules patches called Ghost Rider. Which is more than likely the basis why Johnny Cash sang it on the 30th anniversary of the song. Johnny Cash was US Air Force and more than likely one of the first Ghost Riders on the C-130. He was US Air Force. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.101.163.144 (talk) 04:33, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Name Of Song Correct?
Although the title "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky : A Cowboy Legend" is one of the later title variations under which the song was recorded, its true name is simply "Riders In The Sky" per ASCAP. I have no doubt that some contributor here has in their Album collection a latter-day swooning worshipper's recorded version, carrying the (unknown-to-old-timers) long, syrupy "...cowboy legend..." title variation. It was bad enough when many believed that the song was named "Ghost Riders In The Sky" (It's not-- the correct title is "Riders In The Sky"). This extremely long, Johnnie-come-lately title version should not be the name of this page. I ask that one of the bow-downers who is familiar with changing (moving?) page names either do so, or provide a come-uppance to me by supplying verifiable references that the song's true name is the current long-winded, sappy "...(Ghost)...a cowboy legend..." crap. Just showing me that you have a version of the recording with that title does not prove anything since I am already aware that the song was subsequently recorded under title variations such as: GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY, CAVALIERI DEL CIELO, CAVALIERS DU CIEL, GHOSTRIDERS IN THE SKY, GHOST RIDERS, RIDERS IN THE SKY / A COWBOY LEGEND, GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY, CRESCENTE CAVALEIROS DO CEU, GHOSTRIDERS, JINETES EN EL CIELO, COW BOY LEGEND, RIDERS IN THE SKY:GEISTER, A COWBOY AND LEGEND, CAVALEIROS DO CEU and CAVALHEIROS DO CEU. None of those variations are the true, correct title. --Joe Hepperle (talk) 21:33, 22 January 2009 (UTC)

Genre should be WESTERN
There is a difference between country and Western, and there is really no such thing as "country/western" (a topic for another forum). Each has a different cadence. One good test is that Western music has the sound of galloping horses, something you will not hear in country music. Also, the themes are different. Western music is about love of the land, love for the Western way of life. I wasn't able to find a written source, but Tom Chambers, who co-founded the Western Music Association with the great singin' cowboy, Rex Allen, told me that Rex declared that a cowboy ridin’ his horse is usually hummin’ or singin’ a Western tune. Then he reaches a saloon, gets off his horse, walks in, and begins to sing a Country tune.

This song is absolutely classic Western. Also, if you listen to other Stan Jones compositions, you will find them to be Western. It's an important difference. There are fans of both, and there are fans who have a strong preference for one or the other. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bonnie brock (talk • contribs) 15:33, 13 February 2009 (UTC)

Down in front! I can't read the article!
There seems to be some sort of formatting problem with the "Wild Hunt" picture up at the top of the article. On my screen, it's covering up the words "herd across" in the second paragraph of the introduction. -Agur bar Jacé (talk) 16:23, 3 February 2010 (UTC)
 * More to the point, the image that i just removed, which may be what you were seeing, is only tenuously connected to the song. we would need a citation showing the songwriter was inspired by the euro myth, then a source citing this image in reference to the song. we don't pretty up articles with atmospheric images. (nice painting though)Mercurywoodrose (talk) 05:57, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

Dead link
During several automated bot runs the following external link was found to be unavailable. Please check if the link is in fact down and fix or remove it in that case!


 * http://www.westernmusic.org/HallOfFamefiles/StanJones.html
 * In (Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend on 2011-05-20 21:19:57, 404 Not Found
 * In (Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend on 2011-05-31 04:19:52, 404 Not Found

--JeffGBot (talk) 04:20, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

The Ventures/The Chantays
First off all The Chantays also produced a version of this song. There version should be the surf contribtution as the Ventures have denied to this day that they were a surf band. The Ventures were to surf as the shadows were to surf. Simply because they have a twangy sound doesn't kea they are surf. The Ventures also had a complete lack of wet reverb. Their version was soley an instrumental cover.76.197.13.81 (talk) 08:26, 28 February 2012 (UTC)TheCruelSea

Move to "Riders in the Sky"
The song's official ASCAP name is "Riders in the Sky". That is the name that appears on most of the recordings, or at least the most important ones. I propose to move the article accordingly. (The archive contains several prior discussions of this matter. IMHO, they missed the main point, above.) Lou Sander (talk) 14:41, 26 February 2015 (UTC)
 * A more pressing need is to improve the article itself. Ghmyrtle (talk) 15:01, 26 February 2015 (UTC)
 * I agree, but first things first. I am very interested in this song and others like it, due to my involvement at THIS SITE. I hope to find the time to do a thorough fix to this article. Lou Sander (talk) 15:13, 26 February 2015 (UTC)

Adaptation
Walker Texas Ranger TV show theme song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIYZVSElmj4 was adapted from Johnny Cash's Ghost Riders in the Sky. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mynzbmrtp9I which was written by Stan Jones in 1948. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqFBE6vZ1i4   — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.55.221.206 (talk) 20:12, 7 February 2016 (UTC)