Cat. #0457 (MFH #572) - As sung by Mr. William Edens, Mont Ne, Arkansas on January 20, 1960
VERSE 1
As I walked into Lidians barroom
To Lidians barroom so earli one day
There I spied a handsome young cowboy
All dressed in white linen an clothes for th grave
CHORUS
O, beat th drum lowly
O, play th fife slowly
Go play th death march
As I'm carried along
Take me to th graveyard
An' place th sod o'er me
For I'm a young ranger
An' I know I've done wrong
VERSE 2
O, once't in my saddle I used to go dashing
O, once't in my saddle I used t' look gay
I first took to drinking an' th'n to card playing
Got shot in th breast an' now I must die
VERSE 3
O, bear me a letter to my gray headed Mother
O, bear th news gently to my Sister, so fair
But there is another more dearer than th Sister
Who'll bitterli weep when th sad news, she does hear
VERSE 4
O, give me a cup, a cup of cold water
A cup of cold water, poor fellow, he said
But before they'd returned th spirit had left him
An' gone to its giver an' th cowboy was dead