As I walked out in the streets of Laredo,As I walked out in Laredo one day,I spied a poor cowboy wrapped up in white linen,Wrapped up in white linen and cold as the clay.
"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 was shot in the breast and I know I must die.
"Let sixteen gamblers come handle my coffin,Let sixteen cowboys come sing me a song,Take me to the graveyard and lay the sod o'er me,For I'm a poor cowboy and I know I've done wrong.
"It was once in the saddle I used to go dashing,It was once in the saddle I used to go gay.'Twas first to drinking and then to card playing,Got shot in the breast, I am dying today.
"Get six jolly cowboys to carry my coffin,Get six pretty girls to carry my pall;Put bunches of roses all over my coffin,Put roses to deaden the clods as they fall.
"O beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowlyAnd 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."
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 our comrade although he'd done wrong.
