As I walked out in the streets of New Reno
 As I walked out in New Reno one day
 I spied a young cowboy all wrapped in white linen
 Wrapped in white linen and cold as the clay

 "Oh, beat the [bad word] slowly and play the fife lowly
 Play the dead march as you bear me along
 Take me to the valley and lay the sod o'er me
 I'm a young cowboy; I know I've done wrong"

 "I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy"
 These words he did say as I slowly walked by
 [bad word] sit down beside me and hear my sad story
 I'm shot in the chest and today I must die"

 "Go bring me a cup, a cup of cold water
 to cool my parched lips," the cowboy then said
 Before I returned his soul had departed
 and gone to the roundup; the cowboy was dead

 "Oh, beat the [bad word] slowly and play the fife lowly
 Play the dead march as you bear me along
 Take me to the valley and lay the sod o'er me
 For I'm a young cowboy; I know I've done wrong"