Ok my friends, here it is.  THE cowboy song. 
 
The Cowboy's Lament 
 
 
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1. As  I walked         out in the      streets of   La-re-do, As 

2. "I  see by your      outfit that     you are a       cowboy."  These 

3. "Oh,beat the drum    slowly and      play the fife   lowly; 
 
 
        F               Bb              F               C7 
        I walked        out in       La-re-do one       day, I 

        words, he did   say as I        boldly stepped  by.  "Come 

        Play the Dead   March as you    carry me      a-long. Take me 
 

        F               C7              F               C7 
        spied a young   cowboy wrapped  up in white     linen, wrapped 

        sit down     be-side me and     hear my sad     story; I'm 

        to the green    valley and      lay the sod     o'er me, For 
 

        F               Bb              F       C7              F 
        up in white     linen and       cold       as the       clay. 

        shot in the     breast and I    know       I must       die." 

        I'm a young     cowboy and I    know       I've done    wrong." 
 
 
Additional verses-- 
 
4.      "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 house 
        and then to the card house, 
        Got shot in the breast 
        and I'm dying today." 
 
5.      "Get six jolly cowboys to carry my coffin; 
        Get six pretty maidens 
        to bear up my pall. 
        Put bunches of roses all over my coffin, 
        Put roses to deaden 
        the clods as they fall." 
 
6.      "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. 
 
7.      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. 
 
 
 
That say's it all don't it? 
 
Andrew