A friend of mine and I are looking for information about the origins of the following song. The lyrics are transcribed to the best of our ability from a 1978 field recording. Google, the Roud index, and the Traditional Ballad Index, as well as Mudcat, have turned up no info so far.

In the ranch house a-dying a cowboy was lying
Thinking of the ranch far away
Thinking of the rockies, rounding up the dogies
And cattle that are gone astray
Chorus:
Far away, far away, they'll sing ti-i-yippe-ay
There'll be no more swearing on the ranch over there
And they'll sing ti-i-ippee-ay

Hope they'll not bury me out on the prairie
Across the great divide
I could be [unclear]
Six shooter hung by my side
Chorus

[unclear] Why I'm not grieving
My lands I see far away
As home we are stringing cowboys are singing
They'll sing Ti-i-yippee ay

Final Chorus begins with:
Far away out on the lone prairie they're cowboys are singing