Riders in the Sky

Riders in the Sky (also known as "Ghost Riders in the Sky", among other titles) is a western-style country song, originally written by American singer/actor Stan Jones in 1948. Several versions would chart the following year, notably by Vaughn Monroe.

The song has been covered by numerous country and pop singers since then and has been named the best Western song of all time.

Based in part on the Wild Hunt of European folklore, it tells of a singer who, while resting on a ridge, sees a supernatural herd of cattle being chased endlessly by a group of eternally damned cowboys. One of the cowboys warns the singer that, unless he changes his fate, he will join them "trying to catch the Devil's Herd/Across these endless skies".