[Verse 1]
As I walked out on the streets of Laredo
As I walked out on Laredo one day
I spied a young cowboy all wrapped in white linen
Wrapped in white linen as cold as the clay

[Verse 2]
"I can see by your outfit that you are a cowboy"
These words he did say as I boldly walked by
"Come and sit down beside me and hear my sad story
I'm shot in the breast and I know I must die"

[Verse 3]
"It was once in the saddle, I used to go dashing
Once in the saddle, I used to go gay
It was first to the card-house and down to old Rosie’s
But I'm shot in the breast and I'm dying today"

[Chorus]
"So beat the drum slowly, play thе fife lowly
Play the dead march as you carry mе along
Take me to the valley, lay the sod o’er me
I'm a young cowboy, I know I've done wrong"

[Verse 4]
"Six jolly gamblers 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"
[Verse 5]
"Then go write a letter to my gray-haired mother
Please send the same to my sister so dear
Please not one word of all this would you mention
When others should ask for my story to hear"

[Verse 6]
"There is another more dear than a sister
She'll bitterly weep when she know that I'm gone
If some other man ever wins her affection
Don't mention my name and my name will pass on"

[Verse 7]
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
There stands his marker we made to this day

[Chorus]
We beat the drum slowly, played the fife lowly
Bitterly wept as we bore him along
Down in the green valley we laid the sod o'er him
Just a young cowboy who'd surely gone wrong