(ghost) riders in the skyvaughn monroe peak billboard position # 1 in 1949monroe 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 dayupon a ridge he rested as he went along his waywhen all at once a mighty herd of red-eyed cows he sawa'plowin' through the ragged skies and up a cloudy drawyi-pi-yi-ay, yi-pi-yi-o ghost riders in the skytheir brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steeltheir horns wuz black and shiny and their hot breaths he could feela bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the skyfor he saw the riders comin' hard and he heard their mournful cryyi-pi-yi-ay, yi-pi-yi-o ghost riders in the skytheir faces gaunt, their eyes were blurred, and shirts all soaked with sweatthey're ridin' hard to catch that herd but they ain't caught them yetthey've got to ride forever in that range up in the skyon horses snortin' fire, as they ride on, hear their cryyi-pi-yi-ay, yi-pi-yi-o ghost riders in the skyas 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 skyghost riders in the sky