The Cowboy's Lament

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