"Streets of Laredo" (Roud 23650), also known as the "Cowboy's Lament", is a famous American cowboy ballad in which a dying cowboy tells his story to a living one. Derived from the English folk song "The Unfortunate Lad" or "Unfortunate Rake", it has become a folk music standard, and as such has been performed, recorded and adapted numerous times, with many variations. The title refers to the city of Laredo, Texas.
Some early versions share a melody with the British sea-song "Spanish Ladies".
Around 1928 Harry "Mac" McClintock used the lyrics of "Cowboy's Lament" to a tune, that shares the melody with The Bard of Armagh, sometimes attributed to Thomas Campbell (written in 1801), sometimes attributed to J.L. Ritchie (or A.A. Ritchie) or to Patrick Donnelly, who might have written this song early 1700's, when he assumed the title of Phelim Brady, the Bard of Armagh.
And that's the tune we're familiar with today. (SEE FURTHER ON IN THIS POST)
“The Cowboy’s Lament” (also known as “Streets of Laredo”) is most often cited as "traditional," and it also has been credited to various authors. Today, most accept that, in 1876, Francis Henry Maynard (1853-1926) wrote an early version of the song, titled "The Dying Cowboy"
In 1911 the lyrics of Maynard's version were published in the book "Rhymes of the Range and Trail"
As “The Cowboy’s Lament” the song had already been published on page 74 in John A. Lomax’s seminal "Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads".(1910). It is very likely, that John a. Lomax version of "The Cowboy's Lament" was set to the tune of "The Bard of Armagh".
In 1921, in the book "Songs of the Cowboys", Jack Thorpe credits Troy Hale, Battle Creek, Nebraska, and says, "I first heard it sung in a bar-room at Wisner, Nebraska, about 1886
And in the book Folk-Songs of the South (1925) there are various versions
The first recorded version of "Cowboy's Lament" seems to be by Ewen Hail.
This version is accompanied by the "Spanish Ladies" tune.
Recorded in New York, NY Thursday, March 31, 1927
Ewen Hail, v; acc. Bert Hirsch, f; Carson Robison, g
Matrix E-22204*/05
Released on Vocalion 5146, Supertone S2043 and Brunswick 141:
This version has not yet the familiar tune we know from later versions.
Listen here:
Or here:
The next version shares the lyrics, probably derived from the Francis Henry Maynard version
This version is accompanied by a tune, closely resembling the melody used in the verse of another cowboy-song: "Get Along Little Dogies" (or "Whoopee Ti Yi Yo"), first published in John A. Lomax's book Cowboy Songs and other Frontier Ballads (1910)
(c) Holland Puckett 1927 (as "Dying Cowboy") (Get Along Little Dogies tune)
This artist’s real name may be Hartsell Watson.
Holland Puckett, v; acc. own h-1/g.
Recorded April 1927 in Richmond, IN
Matrix 12786
Released on various labels:
Gennett 6271 (as by Holland Puckett)
Also released on Silvertone 5065, 25065, 8152 (as by Holland Puckett)
Herwin 75557
Supertone 9253 as by Si Puckett.
Herwin 75557 as by Robert Howell.
Champion 15428 (as by Harvey Watson) (SEE PIC BELOW)
Listen here to Holland Puckett / Harvey Watson's version from April 1927
(c) Vernon Dalhart 1927 (as "The Cowboy's Lament") (Get Along Little Dogies tune)
Vernon Dalhart: vocals and harmonica
Carson Robison: guitar
Recorded July 12, 1927
Released on various labels: Banner 0531, Broadway 4099, Cameo 0131 and 8219, Conqueror 7467 and 7724, Jewel 5784 and 20048, Oriole 1783 and 8048, Pathe 32282, Perfect 12361, Regal 8922 and 9017 and 10017, Romeo 599 and 5048
(c) Al Bernard (1928) (as "Cowboy's Lament") (Get Along Little Dogies tune)
Recorded March 1928 in New York
Released on Grey Gull 4173
Also released on Radiex 4173
Listen here: Cowboy's Lament (The Dying Cowboy - Al Bernard.mp3
Harry McClintock's version from 1928 may be the first version with the Bard of Armagh tune, the tune we're familiar with today.
(c) Harry "Mac" McClintock 1928 (as "Cowboy's Lament") (Bard of Armagh version)
Recorded March 1, 1928
Released on Victor 21761
Listen here: Cowboys-Lament-1928.mp3
Or here:
But as I said above, that familiar tune in McClintock's version shares a melody with the Irish tune The Bard of Armagh.
SEE ALSO: Bard of Armagh, The
In 1847 "The Bard of Armagh" was published in on page 437/438 of National Songster; a collection of Scotch, English and Irish standard popular songs, original and select. (published in Glasgow by Francis Orr and Sons)
In this collection "The Bard of Armagh" was attributed to J.L. Ritchie.
In 1867 "The Bard of Armagh" was published as a broadside (publ. in Belfast by P. Brereton)
SEE ALSO: Ballads Online
In 1915 the song was published as the first song in "Irish Country Songs vol 2" edited and arranged by Herbert Hughes. Notes: "Bard of Armagh" (traditional from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland)
(PS: I think County Armagh, which lies east of County Tyrone, seems more obvious to me. Patrick Donnelly, though he was born in County Tyrone, was a bishop in Armagh for a few years).
Already in 1920 John McCorrmack recorded the above Herbert Hughes arrangement of "The Bard of Armagh" for the Victor label
Listen here:
(c) The Arkansas Woodchopper (1928) (as "The Dying Cowboy") (Get Along Little Dogies tune)
Recorded December 6, 1928 in Dallas, TX
Released on Columbia 15463-D
Listen here: The Dying Cowboy - The Arkansas Woodchopper.mp3
(c) Vernon Dalhart 1929 (as "Cowboy's Lament") (Get Along Little Dogies tune)
Recorded January 22, 1929
Released on various labels
In Canada on Sterling 283013: listen here:
(c) Bradley Kincaid (1929) (as "In the Streets of Laredo") (Get Along Little Dogies tune)
Recorded on January 28, 1929 in Richmond, Indiana.
Released on Gennett 6790 and Supertone 9404
Listen here:
(c) Jules Allen (as "Cowboy's Lament") (Get Along Little Dogies tune)
Recorded April 8, 1929
Released on Victor 40178 (and Montgomery Ward M-4099)
Listen here:
(c) Dick Devall (1929) (as "Tom Sherman's Barroom")
------> (another variant of "Cowboy's Lament")
Recorded October 13, 1929 in Dallas TX.
Listen here:
(c) Ken Maynard (1930) (as "Cowboy's Lament") (Get Along Little Dogies tune)
Recorded April 14, 1930 in Los Angeles
Original issue Columbia 2310-D
Listen here:
(c) Bud Kelly (1932) (as "Cowboy's Lament") (Get Along Little Dogies tune)
(This artist’s real name is believed to be Rex Kelly or Buck Nation).
Recorded January/February 1932 in Grafton WI
Released on Broadway 8323.
Listen here:
(c) The Ranch Boys (1934) (as "Cowboy's Lament") (Bard of Armagh version)
Recorded October 19, 1934 in Chicago, IL.
Released on Decca 5061
Here is a version by The Ranch Boys from 1938 in a medley with another cowboy classic.
(c) Burl Ives (1941) (as "Cowboy's Lament") (Bard of Armagh version)
Released on Okeh album K-3
Listen here:
All the following versions below, follow the familiar "Bard Of Armagh" tune.
Over the years that version is best known under the title "Streets Of Laredo" and is one of the most famous cowboy-songs.
(c) Tom Glazer (1943) (as "Cowboy's Lament")
Recorded 1943
Released on 3-disc-album "America's Favorite Songs"
Label: Disc 607
Listen to sample:
(c) Rex Allen (1955) (as "I'm a Young Cowboy")
(c) Ed McCurdy 1956 (as "Cowboy's Lament")
Listen here:
(c) Pete Seeger 1956 (as "Streets of Laredo")
Listen here:
(c) Pete Seeger 1958 (as "Ballad of Sherman Wu")
The lyrics of Pete Seeger's "Ballad of Sherman Wu" are patterned after "Streets of Laredo'" and is set to the same tune. The song presages the American Civil Rights Movement and recounts the refusal of Northwestern University's Psi Upsilon fraternity to accept Sherman Wu because of his Chinese heritage. The song deliberately echoes "Streets of Laredo", beginning.
Listen here:
(c) Roy Rogers & Dale Evans (1958) (as "Streets Of Laredo")
(c) Marty Robbins (1959) (as "Streets Of Laredo")
(c) Tex Ritter (1959) (as "Streets of Laredo")
(c) Jim Reeves (1961) (as "Streets of Laredo")
(c) Joan Baez (1960's) (as "Streets of Laredo")
On album "Very Early Joan" (with never previously released performances recorded during Baez concert tours 1961-1963)
(c) Kingston Trio 1962 (as "Laredo")
(c) Waylon Jennings (1964) (as "Streets of Laredo")
Live at JD's
(c) Johnny Cash 1965 (as "Streets of Laredo")
(c) Hank Williams Jr 1965 (as "Streets of Laredo")
(c) in the movie "Bang The Drum Slowly" 1973 (with Robert de Niro)
The song plays a prominent role in the book and film Bang the Drum Slowly, in which a version of "Streets of Laredo" is sung. The words from the title replace the words "beat the drum slowly" from the lyrics of "Streets of Laredo". This in turn is the phrase used in the song "Bang the Drum Slowly" on the album Red Dirt Girl by Emmylou Harris.
(c) John Cale 1981 (as "Streets of Laredo")
Listen here:
(c) Prefab Sprout (2001) (as "Streets of Laredo")
The "Bard of Armagh"/ "Streets of Laredo" tune was also used in 1952 as the melody-line for Vera Lynn's UK Top 10 hit "The Homing Waltz".
(c) Vera Lynn (1952) (as "The Homing Waltz")
Recorded July 1952
Matrix DR 17112
Released on Decca F 9959
Listen here:
But Billy Cotton already recorded a version of "The Homing Waltz" before Vera Lynn, also on the Decca-label.
(o) Billy Cotton (1952) (as "The Homing Waltz")
Recorded on June 18, 1952
Matrix DR 17060
Released on Decca F 9947
Listen here:
And in 1960 the "Bard of Armagh"/ "Streets of Laredo" tune was also used as the tune for Wayne P. Walker's song "Only The Hangman (Is Waiting For Me)", first recorded by Bobby Sykes.
(c) Bobby Sykes (1960) (as "Only The Hangman (Is Waiting For Me)")
Recorded August 10, 1960 in Nashville, TN
Released on Columbia 4-42160
Listen here:
2 British artists Jess Edwins and Terry Kennedy adapted the words and added a chorus to the above Wayne P Walker song and published it in the UK under the title "Only The Heartaches".
It was a minor hit in the UK by Houston Wells and The Marksmen and has been recorded by many other artists.
(c) Houston Wells and The Marksmen (1963) (as "Only The Heartaches")
Listen here:
In 1960 a V.A. album by the title of "The Unfortunate Rake" was released by Folkways, dealing exclusively with variations on this tune and song subject, no matter who dies in it (a gambler, a soldier, a sailor, a prostitute...), who's visiting the dying, no matter where the action takes place (in Old Joe's barroom, in St. James' Hospital or even in the Streets of Laredo), long as there's a final request for a decent funeral ceremony (which all versions hold).
Here are the liner-notes: FW03805.pdf
Here's beautiful example from that album: the song that started it all: "The Unfortunate Rake" sung here by A.L. Lloyd. with Alf Edwards on concertina.
If you want to listen to all the songs on that album in a row: here below is a link
In 2018 "Unfortunate Lad" was also included in the Coen brothers movie: "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs", sung her by Brendon Gleeson.
On the next link are a lot of "Streets of Laredo" covers:
This "Dying Cowboy" variation is NOT TO BE CONFUSED with another "Dying Cowboy"
And like "Cowboy's Lament" or "Streets of Laredo", which is more like a ballad or waltz, there is another song that was derived from the same English folk song "Unfortunate Rake": That song became "Gamber's Blues" better known as "St James Infirmary", which is more like a blues song.
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