The Streets of Laredo
arranged & adapted by Arlo Guthrie
Also sung by Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Don Gibson
Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, Jim Reeves, Eddie Arnold|  and Joan Baez

Lead in: | 4 4 4 | -4 5 -5 5 -5 | 5 -3 -4 | 4 |



 

    8 -8   7      -8  8  -8      7    -7 -6    6-4  -5
| As I walked | out in the | streets of La | redo, as |
  5    5      6  -7 -8    7-7  -6    6  -7     8  -8  -7
| I walked | out in La | redo one | day. I | spied a poor |
   -8 8     -8      7 -7   -6     6 -4   -5       5    5   5
| cowboy wrapped | up in white | linen, all | wrapped in white |
   -5 6 -6     6  -4  -5     5     7 7 7   -8 8 -9 8 -9   8 -7 -8    7  8
| linen as | cold as the | clay. |       |              |         |    "I |
   8  -8   7     -8 8   -7     7   -7 -6   6  -4     -5      5    5    6   7  -8
| see by your | outfit that | you are a | cowboy", these | words he | did say as |
  -8  7  -7    -6      6    -7     8   -8   7   -8   8  -8     7  -7  -6
| I proudly stepped | by. "Come | sit down be| side me and | hear my sad |
   6 -4   -5     5   5  5      -5    6 -6     6 -4  -5     5    
| story, I'm | shot in the | breast and I | know I must | die". |
  4 4 4  -4 5 -5 5 -5   5 -3 -4   4 R
|       |             |         |     | 
 
      8  -8  7     -8 8 -8     7  -7 -6    6 -4    -5     5  5     6  7 -8     7  -7 -6
| "'Twas in the | saddle I | used to go | ridin', once | in the | saddle I | used to go |
   6     -7     8  -8  7     -8 8     -8     7  -7  -6       6 -4    -5     5   5  5
| gay. First | led to ah | drinkin', and | then to card- | playin', I'm | shot in the |
     -5   6   -6    6 -4 -5    5     7 7 7   -8 8 -9 8 -9   8 -7 -8   7   -7    -7 -6 6
| breast and I'm | dying to | day. |       |              |         |   "Let | six jolly |
   -6 -7   -6     6 -5  5    -4 3    4     -3    -3     -5    6  -6    6 -5  5    -4     -5
| cowboys come | carry my | coffin, let | six pretty | gals come to | carry my | pall. Throw |
   -7 -6   6   -6 -7  -6   6 -5  5    -4 3     4     -3 -3 -3     4 -4  5     -4    3   4     -3
| bunches of | roses all | over my | coffin, throw | roses to | deaden the | clods as they | fall. |

 -3 -3 -3   4 -4 5   -4 3 4    -3
|         |        |        |       | 

Additional verses - use same tabs...

"Oh, beat the drum slowly, and play the fife lowly
And play the dead march as you carry me along
Take me to the green valley and lay the earth o'er me
For I'm a poor cowboy and I know I've done wrong"

We beat the drum slowly and played the fife lowly
And bitterly wept as we carried him along
For we all loved our comrade, so brave, young and handsome
We all loved our comrade although he done wrong
 

Back to Country Songs Page
From June 30, 2006