who sung ghost riders in the sky?

Answer 1

Johnny Cash.

Answer 2

Yeah, as others have said, Stan Jones wrote it. I believe he wrote it in a few days as a favor to someone for a movie score.

Many many people have performed the song. Dick Dale has a great instrumental version.

The thing that most people never recognize is that the song is a rip off of the melody of the old American civil war tune "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again." (Hoo rah! Hoo rah!) Maybe Stan Jones was the "Weird Al" Yankovic of his day?!?

The melody was appropriated for the animated movie Antz, when they're going into battle and singing, "the ants go marching two by two, Hoo rah, Hoo rah!"

The melody has it's most ancient roots in Irish folk music.

Answer 3

Johnny Cash?

Answer 4

Long before Johnny Cash recorded it, Vaughn Monroe topped the charts with that song, c1949.

Answer 5

Stan Jones

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riders_in_the_Sky:_A_Cowboy_Legend

Answer 6

The Outlaws

Answer 7

well, in da movie "ghost rider'' it wuz by Spiderbait. there are otha verzionz by Johnny Cash and The Outlaws.

Answer 8

Frankie Laine---he also did Mule Train. Others have sung them but he was the best. He just recently died.

Answer 9

Lots of people, but Stan Jones was the first (and he wrote it). Johnny Cash, too. The Outlaws. Vaughn Monroe.

Kick *** song!!!

Stan Jones

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.

Yippee-yi-ya, yippee-yi-yo,
Ghost herd in the sky.

Their brands were still on fire and
Their hooves were made of steel,
Their horns were black and shiny and
Their hot breath he could feel,
A bolt of fear shot through him as
He looked up in the sky,
For he saw the riders comin' hard
And he heard their mournful cry:

Yippee-yi-ya, yippee-yi-yo,
Ghost riders in the sky.
Their faces gaunt, their eyes were blurred,
Their shirts all soaked with sweat,
They're riding hard to catch that herd,
But they ain't caught 'em yet,
'cause they've got to ride forever on
That range up in the sky,
On horses snortin' fire, as
They ride on hear their cry:

Yippee-yi-ya, yippee-yi-yo,
Ghost riders in the sky.

The cowpokes loped on past him and
He heard one call his name,
If you want to save your soul from hell
A-riding on our range,
Then, cowboy, change your ways today,
Or with us you will ride,
A-trying to catch the devil's herd
Across these endless skies.

Yippee-yi-ya, yippee-yi-yo,
Ghost riders in the sky.

Answer 10

Pure Prairie League also did a cover.