Cowboy's Lament (Streets of Laredo).
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1) As I walked out in the Streets of Laredo;
As I walked out in Laredo one day;
I spied a young cowboy wrapped up in white linen;
Wrapped up in white linen and cold as the clay.
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2) "I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy;"
These words he did say as I boldly stepped by;
"Come sit down beside me and hear my sad story;
I'm shot in the breast and I know I must die."
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3) My friends and relations are here in the nation,
They know not where there young man has gone.
I first came to Texas, was hired by a ranchman,
Oh I'm a young cowboy, and I know I've dne wrong.
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4) It was once in the saddle I use to go dashing,
It was once in the saddle I used to go gay;
First to the dram house and then to the card house;
Got shot in the breast and I'm dying today."
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5) "Get six jolly cowboys to carry my coffin;
Get six pretty maidens to bear up my pall;
Put branches of roses all over my coffin,
Put roses to deaden the clods as they fall."
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6) "Oh beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowly
Play the Dead March as you carry me along,
Take me to the green valley and lay the sod o'er me,
For I'm a young cowboy and I know I've done wrong."
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7) "Go bring me a cup, a cup of cold water
To cool my parched lips," the young cowboy said,
Before I returned, the spirit had left him,
And gone to its Maker, the cowboy was dead.
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8) We beat the drum slowly and played the fife lowly
And bitterly wept as we bore him along;
For we all loved our comrade, so brave, young and handsome;
We all loved that cowboy, although he'd done wrong.
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