Lyrics The Cowboy's Lament - Ken Maynard

I come out of Austin's fair city
Oh Austin's fair city
Oh Austin's fair city was early one day
I spied a young cowboy
A handsome young cowboy
All dressed in white linen and cold as clay
I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy
These words he did say
As I boldly step by come sit down beside me
And hear my sad story for I'm shot in the breast
And I know I must die
[Oh beat the drum slowly
Oh play the fife lowly oh play
The dead march as they carry me along
Carry me to the graveyard
And poor the sod or me for I'm only a poor cowboy
And I know I've done wrong]
Someone write a letter
To my grey haired mother
And then to my sister my sister so dear
But there's another more dear than mother
Who bitterly would weep if she knew I were hear
[Oh beat the drum slowly oh play the fife lowly
Oh play the dead march
As they carry me along
Carry me to the graveyard
And pour the sod ore me
For I'm only a poor cowboy
And I know I've done wrong
- [repeat chorus]-
For once in the saddle I used to go dashing
Oh once in the saddle I used to go gay
But I just took to drinking
And then to card playing
Got shot by a gambler I'm dying today
Someone go bring a class of cold water
A class of cold water the poor cowboy said
But err' we get it his soul had departed
His soul had departed the cowboy was dead