Streets of Laredo

Joan BaezJoan Baez 

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Joan Baez

Joan Baez ( /ˈbaɪ.ɛz/) (born January 9, 1941 as Joan Chandos Báez) is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician, and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace, and environmental justice. more »

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

"I can see by your outfit
That you are a cowboy"
These words he did say as I boldly walked by
"Come an' sit down beside me
An' hear my sad story
"I'm shot in the breast an'
I know I must die"

"It was once in the saddle
I used to go dashing
"Once in the saddle, I used to go gay
"First to the card-house and
Then down to Rose's
"But I'm shot in the breast
And I'm dying today"
"Get six jolly cowboys to carry my coffin
"Six dance hall maidens to bear up my pall
"Throw bunches of roses all over my coffin
"Roses to deaden the clods as they fall"

"Then beat the drum slowly
Play the Fife lowly
"Play the dead march as you carry me along
"Take me to the green valley
Lay the sod o'er me
"I'm a young cowboy and I
Know I've done wrong"

"Then go write a letter to
My grey haired mother
"An' tell her the cowboy that
She loved has gone
"But please not one word of the
Man who had killed me
"Don't mention his name and his
Name will pass on"

When thus he had spoken
The hot sun was setting
The streets of Laredo grew cold as the clay
We took the young cowboy down
To the green valley
And there stands his marker, we made
To this day

We beat the drum slowly and
Played the Fife lowly
Played the dead march as we carried him along
Down in the green valley
Laid the sod o'er him
He was a young cowboy and
He said he'd done wrong

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