About this song
The song was originally written and sung by Stan Jones, who said he had been told the story when he was 12 years old by an old Native American. It was first recorded in early 1948 or late 1949, and this version was released in 1959. Many other popular artists of the time, including Johnny Cash, have covered it.
What it's about
A cowboy has a vision of a herd of cattle with red eyes and steel hooves thundering across the sky, apparently chasing the souls of damned cowboys. One of the cowboys warns him that if he does not change his ways, he will be doomed to be chased by the cattle forever.
Summary written with AI, based on the song's page on Genius.