About The Song
In the summer of 2013 Ray Price stepped into a Nashville studio for what would become his final recording sessions. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the seventy-seven-year-old Country Music Hall of Famer told producer Fred Foster that he had one last album in him. The sessions produced *Beauty Is… The Final Sessions*, released posthumously on April 15, 2014 by Amerimonte Records after Price’s death on December 16, 2013. Among the twelve tracks was the tender ballad “This Thing of Ours,” written by Larry B. Bastian and Craig Morris and running a compact two minutes and fifty-nine seconds.
Bastian and Morris crafted a quiet celebration of lifelong love. The lyrics paint a gentle morning scene: the singer watches his partner sleeping, notes the sunlight dancing in her hair, and reflects on the deep bond they share. “This thing of ours, this love we share” becomes both title and refrain, a simple yet profound acknowledgment of a relationship that has endured decades of life on the road, fame, and quiet domestic moments. One account suggests the song was written with Price’s wife Janie in mind, turning personal devotion into universal country poetry.
Price delivered the performance with the warm, restrained baritone that had defined his later career. The arrangement featured soft piano strokes, lush strings, and a supportive vocal chorus that added emotional depth without overpowering the intimacy. Producer Fred Foster kept the focus on Price’s voice, allowing the singer’s subtle phrasing and emotional honesty to carry the track. The result was a late-night torch song that felt both reflective and grateful, perfectly suited to an artist looking back on a long marriage and a legendary career.
By the time the album appeared, Price had already been honored as one of country music’s most influential figures. He had pioneered the “Ray Price Beat,” scored more than one hundred chart entries, and influenced generations with classics such as “Crazy Arms,” “Night Life,” and “For the Good Times.” “This Thing of Ours” stood apart from those earlier hits as a personal, understated statement rather than a radio-driven single. It was never released as a charting 45 but quickly became a favorite among fans of the album, which also included duets with Vince Gill and Martina McBride.
The song captured Price at peace with his legacy. Having spent more than six decades in music, he used the final sessions to record material that reflected maturity, gratitude, and acceptance. Reviews praised the track as a poignant highlight, noting how the strings and piano enhanced Price’s restrained delivery and created a sense of quiet celebration. It served as a fitting coda to a catalog that had moved from raw honky-tonk to sophisticated country balladry.
More than a decade after its release, “This Thing of Ours” remains a touching reminder of Ray Price’s final chapter. What began as one more session in a long career became a lasting expression of enduring love and quiet strength. The ballad continues to appear on playlists and compilations drawn from his later work, offering listeners a glimpse of the man behind the legend who, even at the end, chose to sing about the thing that mattered most.
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Lyric
Just look at you lying there
You should see the way the morning dances in your hair
I’m tempted so to wake you just to see you smile
And hold you gently to me for a little while
Like an old guitar growing sweet with age
Like that book you can’t put down until you’ve turned the page
It’s knowing that you’re always there to fill my glass
You and me together girl, we’ve made the first time last
This thing of ours, this love we share
The comfort knowing when I turn I’ll find you there
By my side for the long, long ride
This thing of ours
When it’s done and the credits roll
Let it be said together that we stole the show
We’ll save the last “I love you” for the curtain call
Let it be said there is a happy ending after all
This thing of ours, this love we share
The comfort knowing when I turn I’ll find you there
By my side for the long, long ride
This thing of ours
This thing of ours