As I walked out in the streets of Laredo
As I walked out in Laredo one day
I spied a young cowboy wrapped in white linen
Wrapped in white linen as cold as the clay

Beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowly
Play the dead march as you carry me along
Take me to the green valleys lay the sod o'er me
For I'm a young cowboy I know I've done wrong

Beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowly
Play the death march as you carry me along
For we all loved our comrade so brave young and handsome
Well all loved our comrade although he done wrong

There is another more dear than a sister
She'll bitterly weep when she hears that I'm gone
And if some other man every wins her affection
Don't mention my name and my name will move on

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

[ guitar ]
And beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowly...