The pair went through a couple of sidemen before fiddle player Woody Paul, with a Ph.D. in physics, invited himself into the band. In the early days, Ranger Doug did freelance writing and cut firewood to make ends meet. Too Slim was a puppeteer, also working with galvanized metal. Woody the engineer fixed Volkswagens. In these complicated days, the image of the cowboy is almost irresistible.
Country music is popular, sure.
But form-fitting jeans, alligator boots and the electric slide don't bring peace of mind. It's the Roy Rogers era that Riders in the Sky evoke, an image of simpler times, honest men, and no more baggage than will fit in your saddlebags. I mean, that was the Depression, the beginning of the war. People had lost their jobs. They were almost homeless, camping out on the range.