No one seems to have posted the first printed version of "Cow Boys Lament, printed in 1908 by N. Howard Thorp in the booklet "Songs of the Cowboys," pp. 29-30. He published an entirely different one in 1921 in a book with the same title, often cited incorrectly as the 1908 version.
The Thorp original is set in Galveston, Texas, where the cow-boy was deceived by a village belle and killed by a Mexican. He gives no indication of where he obtained this song, seemingly not the one obtained from a cowpuncher named in the 1921 volume, and borrowed from the 'synthetic' (the word of Fife and Fife in their discussion of the song) version given by Lomax.

Lyr. Add: COW BOYS LAMENT (Thorp 1908)

'Twas once in the saddle I used to be happy
'Twas once in my saddle I used to be gay
But I first took to drinking, then to gambling
A shot from a six-shooter took my life away.

My curse, let it rest, let it rest on the fair one
Who drove me from friends that I loved and from home
Who told me she loved me, just to deceive me
My curses rest upon her, wherever she roam.

Oh she was fair, Oh she was lovely
The belle of the Village the fairest of all
But her heart was as cold as the snow on the mountains
She gave me up for the glitter of gold.

I arrived in Galveston in old Texas
Drinking and gambling I went to give o'er
But, I met with a Greaser and my life he has finished
Home and relations I ne'er shall see more.

Send for my father, Oh send for mother
Send for the surgeon to look at my wounds
But I fear it is useless I feel I am dying
I'm a young cow-boy cut down in my bloom.

Farewell my friends, farewell my relations
My earthly career has cost me sore
The cow-boy ceased talking, they knew he was dying
His trials on earth, forever were o'er.

Chor.
Beat your drums lightly, play your fifes merrily
Sing your dearth (sic) march as you bear me along
Take me to the grave-yard, lay the sod o'er me
I'm a young cow-boy and know I've done wrong.

@cowboy @death

Quite different from "Tom Sherman's Barroom," set in Dodge City, Kansas and "Streets of Laredo," set on the Mexican border 300 miles to the southwest of Galveston.
From a complete facsimile of the 1908 privately printed booklet of 24 "Songs of the Cowboys," appended to Thorp and Fife, "Songs of the Cowboys," 1966, Austin E. and Alta S. Fife, Clarkson N. Potter, NY.

---

Click to play