RAWHIDE

Rawhide is an American Western TV series starring Eric Fleming and Clint Eastwood. The show aired for eight seasons on the CBS network on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to September 3, 1965, before moving to Tuesday nights from September 14, 1965 until January 4, 1966, with a total of 217 black-and-white episodes. The series was produced and sometimes directed by Charles Marquis Warren, who also produced early episodes of Gunsmoke. Originally the show was to be titled "Cattle Drive" but wisely Warren amended this to 'Rawhide'.

Spanning seven and a half years, Rawhide was the sixth-longest-running American television Western, exceeded only by eight years of Wagon Train, nine years of The Virginian, fourteen years of Bonanza, eighteen years of Death Valley Days, and twenty years of Gunsmoke.

Set in the 1860s, Rawhide portrays the challenges faced by the drovers of a cattle drive. Most episodes are introduced with a monologue by Gil Favor (portrayed by Eric Fleming), the trail boss. In a typical Rawhide story, the drovers come upon people on the trail and are drawn into solving whatever problem they present or confront. Sometimes, one or more of the crew venture into a nearby town and encounter some trouble from which they need to be rescued. Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood) was young and at times impetuous in the earliest episodes and Favor had to keep a tight rein on him.

Theme song

The theme song's lyrics were written by Ned Washington in 1958. It was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin and sung by pop singer Frankie Laine. The theme song became very popular, and was covered several times and featured in movies such as The Blues Brothers and Shrek 2.

Lyrics

Keep movin', movin', movin',

Though they're disapprovin',

Keep them dogies movin', rawhide.

Don't try to understand 'em,

Just rope 'em, throw, and brand 'em.

Soon we'll be livin' high and wide.

My heart's calculatin',

My true love will be waitin',

Be waitin' at the end of my ride.

Move 'em on, head 'em up,

Head 'em up, move 'em on,

Move 'em on, head 'em up, rawhide!

Head 'em out, ride 'em in,

Ride 'em in, let 'em out,

Cut 'em out, ride 'em in, rawhide!

The ending lyrics are:

Keep rollin', rollin', rollin',

Though the streams are swollen,

Keep them dogies rollin', rawhide.

Through rain and wind and weather,

Hell bent for leather,

Wishin' my gal was by my side.

All the things I'm missin',

Good vittles, love and kissin',

Are waiting at the end of my ride.

Move 'em on, head 'em up,

Head 'em up, move 'em on,

Move 'em on, head 'em up, rawhide!

Head 'em out, ride 'em in,

Ride 'em in, let 'em out,

Cut 'em out, ride 'em in, rawhide!

Rawhide!

Clint Eastwood

Long before his days as an accomplished leading actor and acclaimed director, before his sleek portrayals of Dirty Harry Callahan and The Man With No Name made him an instant star, Clint Eastwood was another Hollywood contract player trying to make ends meet appearing in small unmemorable roles in Hollywood B-movies. However, in 1959 that was all about to change.

When 'Rawhide' made its television premier on January 9th, Eastwood's career took off. The series went on to become a major hit giving Eastwood the experience and knowledge of a business that he would ultimately master.

With the rusty door-hinge of a voice he possesses today, it's hard to imagine a time when Clint Eastwood could have been groomed as a singing star, but in the early ‘60s, when he came to fame as the rebellious Rowdy in the hit Western TV series Rawhide, it wasn't such a crazy idea. While Eastwood is admittedly not an exceptional vocalist, he's not at all bad; this is by no means some Golden Throats-style celebrity train wreck. At the time, there were plenty of equally photogenic young men with no greater vocal ability than Eastwood being promoted as country singers, many with less of an actual musical background than the jazz-schooled actor. Eastwood's soft, somewhat laconic croon might not possess the commanding quality that was de rigueur for the era's country stars, but he never strays off-key, and his style is a kind of cross between legendary cowboy singer Roy Rogers and Dean Martin. 

'Beyond the Sun' is a theme song by Russ Garcia. It can be heared in the TV Series Rawhide. The lyrics were added by Lenny Adelson and the words he added were sung by Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates in the Rawhide episode 'The Pitchwagon'. It first aired during the series' fourth season on March 2, 1962.

Lyrics:

Beyond the sun over the mountain

there's a place my heart's longing to be.

Beyond the sun over the mountain

there's a face my eyes hunger to see.

The long long road seems like an endless thing.

Somewhere, some place there is a home.

Beyond the sun over the mountain

there are lonely arms waiting for me.

Waiting for me.