Well, as I walked out in the streets of Laredo Walked out in the streets of Laredo one dayI spied a young cowboy wrapped in white linen Wrapped in white linen as cold as the claySaid, I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy These words he said as I briskly walked byCome sit down beside me and hear my sad story I'm shot through the body and today I must dieOnce on a bronco I used to go dashing Once in a saddle I used to ride gayBut first it was the drinking and then the card playing Got shot through the body and I'm dying todayI'm with the roses, sweet bunch of roses Bloom in the spring and they die in the fallBring red roses to place on my coffin Detonate the sounds of the clods as they fallGo write me a letter to my gray-haired mother Send the same to my sister so dearBut never a word of these two letters As cowboys gather that they must hearI want sixteen bold gamblers come handle my coffin Sixteen dance hall girls sing me a songTake me to Green Valley and place the sod over me For I'm just a cowboy and no, I've done wrongGo bring me some water, a cup of cool water To cool my parched lips, the cowboys sayBefore I could reach him, the spirit had left him And returned to its maker, the cowboy was deadSo we beat the drums slowly, played the fife lowly Played the death march as we carried him onWe all loved our comrade, so brave and so handsome We all loved our comrade, although he'd done wrong