The Lone Writer 8 months agoAugust 17, 2022

Western Song: Empty Saddles In The Old Corral

Empty Saddles in the Old Corral is a classic American cowboy song written by an American songwriter, violinist, and pianist Billy Hill. He based the song on a poem about grieving for lost companions by J. Keirn Brennan. In July 1936, the song became widely recognized to the public when Bing Crosby sang it with heartfelt emotion in the Paramount musical Rhythm on the Range. Crosby’s Decca recording made on July 14, 1936, with Victor Young and His Orchestra, reached the Top 10 that September.

Crosby’s recording of Empty Saddles with other country songs gave them legitimacy by showing that they could attract sophisticated pops and rural audiences. He performed them with integrity and didn’t look down his nose at the music.

The members of the Western Writers of America also included it in the Top 100 Western songs of all time.

Table of Contents

Popular Recordings of Empty Saddles In The Old Corral

The song was later recorded by many artists, including:

The Sons of the Pioneers
Johnny Bond
Sons of the San Joaquin
Roy Rogers
Burl Ives
Dean Martin
Jimmie Rodgers
Rudy Vallée and His Connecticut Yankees
Chick Bullock
Ambrose and His Orchestra
The Ranch Boys
The Mullen Sisters – Tony Mottola and His Orchestra
Spade Cooley (King of Western Swing) and His Band
Johnnie Ray
The Diamonds
The Eligibles
The Randy Van Horne Singers
Johnny Bond
Tex Ritter with Stan Kenton’s Orchestra

In Albums

The song has been included in the tracklist of the following albums:

Songs of the West
That Wild, Wicked but Wonderful West
Sing Songs of the West
Stan Kenton! Tex Ritter!
Dean Martin as Matt Helm Sings Songs from “The Silencers”
Rollin’ West
Along the Trail
Songs from the Old West
Twilight On The Trail / When The Spirit Moves You
On the Trail
Spade Cooley Plays Billy Hill for Dancing
The Last Roundup

Listen (The Sons of the Pioneers Version)

Empty Saddles In The Old Corral Lyrics

There's something strange in the old corral
There's a breeze, though the wind has died
Though I'm alone in the old corral
Seems there is someone at my side

Empty saddles in the old corral
Where do you ride tonight?
Are you roundin' up the dogies, the strays of long ago
Are you on the trail of buffalo?

Empty saddles in the old corral
Where do you ride tonight?
Are there rustlers on the border, or a band of Navajo
Are you headin' for the Alamo?

Empty guns covered with rust
Where do you talk tonight?
Empty boots covered with dust
Where do you walk tonight?

Empty saddles in the old corral
My tears will be dried tonight
If you'll only say I'm lonely as you carry my old pal
Empty saddles in the old corral

There is no smoke, still the fires burn,
There's no song, still I hear guitars,
There is no dust, still the ghosts return
Softly to vanish through the bars

The Lone Writer

The Lone Writer is an American frontier and Old West journalist and historian. He loves to read, write and review all things western, whether historical or fiction.