The Yellow Rose of Texas came down by the Eildon Tree 
As her hair shone in the morning sun, her eyes were wild and free 
And I knew I would go with her, 'cos she put a spell on me 

She told me she would take me where the Johnson folk still trade 
She carried gold and silver and the finest French brocade 
I told her I had nothing, just my shoes and my old hat 
She said, ‘Watch out where you’re walkin' tonight, 'cos I've seen 'em killed for much less than that…’ 
 [bad word] 

Her hair was of the grass-green silk 
Her mantle of the velvet fine 
And hung upon her horse’s mane 
Were sixty silver bells and nine 

We came upon a doctor who plied everything you like 
She said, ‘Do you wanna get high?’ I said, ‘Well, I guess, alright. 
If you're havin' one, I'm havin' one.’ And then we had three. 
By the time she left in the morning there was nothing left of me. 
 [bad word] 

I went and got myself a horse, I had to rob to get it 
I carried myself a gun and I chased that woman across the desert 
And when I came upon her, she fell down on her knees 
She says, ‘I know I took your shoes and hat, but please don’t shoot me, please!’ 

I says, ‘What d'you want? You jes left me there in that desperate one-horse town!’ 
She says, ‘I can't help it, D.W., it's in my nature, just like the frog and scorpion drowned.’ 
I didn't know what she was talking about and I was just about to say 
But she popped me with a little two-shot Derringer and that was the end of me. 
 [bad word]