Rex Allen - Streets of Laredo

Rex Allen plays Streets of Laredo  on The Jimmy Dean Show.

"Streets of Laredo"  also known as the "Cowboy's Lament", is a famous cowboy ballad in which a dying cowboy tells his story to another cowboy. 

Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.

Derived from the English folk song "The Unfortunate Rake", the song has become a folk music standard, and as such has been performed, recorded and adapted numerous times, with many variations. The title refers to the city of Laredo, Texas.

STREETS OF LAREDO (THE COWBOY'S LAMENT)

(Traditional Variation)

 

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

All wrapped in white linen as cold as the clay

 

"I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy"

These words he did say as I proudly stepped by

"Come sit down beside me and hear my sad story

I'm 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.

 

'Twas once in the saddle I used to go ridin'

Once in the saddle I used to go gay

First lead to drinkin', and then to card-playing

Got shot in the breast and I'm dying today

 

Let six jolly cowboys come carry my coffin

Let six pretty gals come to carry my pall

Throw bunches of roses all over my coffin

Throw roses to deaden the clods as they fall

 

Oh, beat the drum slowly, and play the fife lowly

And play the dead march as you carry me along

Take me to the green valley and lay the earth o'er me

For I'm a poor cowboy and I know I've done wrong"

 

Then swing your rope slowly and rattle your spurs lowly,

And give a wild whoop as you carry me along;

And in the grave throw me and roll the sod o'er me.

For I'm a young cowboy and I know I've done wrong.

 

Go bring me a cup, a cup of cold water.

To cool my parched lips," the cowboy then said.

Before I returned, his soul had departed,

And gone to the round up......the cowboy was dead.

 

We beat the drum slowly and played the fife lowly

And bitterly wept as we carried him along

For we all loved our comrade, so brave, young and handsome

We all loved our comrade although he done wrong