The Streets OF Loredo

[Cd.]

The Streets of Laredo, also known as The Cowboy's Lament, has a linage as long as your arm and then some. It has been traced to the Irish balad The Unfortunate Rake, which tells the tale of a poor lad who contracted a "social disease." The song was popular in about 1790.
Wayne Erbson, Songs of the Wild Frontier

As I walked out in the streets of Laredo, As I walked out in Loredo one day, I spied a young cowboy wrapped in white linen, Wrapp3ed up in white linen and cold as the clay.

Oh beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowly;
Play the Dead Mrch 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

"I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy."
These words he did say as I boldly stopped by.
"Come sit down beside me and hear my sad story,
I'm shot in the breast and I know I must die."

"My friends and relations they live in the Nation,
They know not where their dear boy has gone.
I first came to Texas and hired to a ranchman,
Oh I'm a young 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.
First to the dram hous and then to the card house,
Got shot in the breast and I'm dying today."

"Get six jolly cowboys to carry my coffin,
Get six pretty maidens to b3ear up my pall.
Put bunches of roses all over my coffin. Put roses to deaden the clods as they fall."

"Go gather around you a group of young cowboys,
And tell them the story of this my sad fate,
Tell one and the other, before they go further,
To stop their wild roving before it's too late."

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.

We beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowly,
And bitterly wept as we ore him along.
For we ll loved our comrade, so brave, young and handsome,
We all loved our comrade although he'd done wrong.