As I walked out
On the streets of Laredo
As I walked out
On Laredo one day
I spied a young cowboy
All wrapped in white linen
All wrapped in white linen
As cold as the clay
"Beat the drum slowly
Play the fife lowly
Play the dead march
As you carry me along
Take me to the green valley
Lay the sod over me
For I'm a young cowboy
And I know I've done wrong
Then go write a letter
And send it to my grey-haired mother
And please send the same
To my sister so dear
But please not one word
Of all this would you mention
When others should ask
For my story to hear
There is another
More dear than a sister
She'll bitterly weep
When she hears that I'm gone
And if some other man
Ever wins her affection
Don't mention my name
And my name will pass on
Just beat the drum slowly
Play the fife lowly
Play the dead march
As you carry me along
Take me to green valley
Lay the sod over me
For I'm a young cowboy
And I know I've done wrong
Get six jolly cowboys
To carry my coffin
Get six pretty maidens
To sing me a song
Put bunches of roses
All over my coffin
Roses to deaden
The clods when they fall"
We beat the drum slowly
Played the fife lowly
We bitterly wept
As we bore him alone
Down in the green valley
We lay the sod over him
Just a young cowboy
Who surely gone wrong