arranged and adapted by Arlo Guthrie
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So you ask me my kind friend
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Why I am sad and still
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And why my brow is darkened
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Like the clouds upon the hill
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Rein in your ponies closer
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And I'll tell you all a tale
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Of Utah Carroll, partner
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And his last ride on the trail
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In a grave without a headstone
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Without a date or name
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My partner lies there silent
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In the land from which I came
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Long ago we rode together
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We'd ridden side by side
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I loved him like a brother
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And I wept when Utah died
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While riding up one morning
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And our work was almost done
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The cattle quickly started
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On a wild and maddening run
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The boss's little daughter
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Who was riding on that side
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Rushed in to stop the stampede
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It was there my partner died
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Lenore upon her pony
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Tried to turn the cattle right
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But her blanket slipped beneath her
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And she caught and held on tight
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When we all saw that red blanket
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Each cowboy held his breath
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For should her pony fail her
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None could save the girl from death
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When the cattle saw the blanket
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Almost dragging on the ground
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They were maddened in a moment
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And they charged with deafening sound
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The girl soon saw her danger
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And she turned her pony's face
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And bending in her saddle
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Tried the blanket to replace
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Just then she lost her balance
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In the front of that wild tide
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Carroll's voice controlled the round up
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"Lie still, Lenore" he cried
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And then close up beside her
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Came Utah riding fast
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But little did the poor boy know
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The ride would be his last
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Full often from the saddle
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He had caught the trailing rope
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To pick her up at full speed
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Was now his only hope
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He swung low from his saddle
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To take her to his arm
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We thought that he'd succeeded
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That the girl was safe from harm
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But such a strain upon his saddle
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Had ne'er been put before
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And the cinches gave beneath him
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And he fell beside Lenore
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When the girl fell from her saddle
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She had dragged the blanket down
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It lay there close beside them
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Where they lay upon the ground
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Utah took the blanket
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And to Lenore he said
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"Lie still" and quickly running
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Waved the red thing o'er his head
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He turned the maddened cattle
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From Lenore, his little friend
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And as the mighty herd rushed toward him
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He turned to met his end
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And as the herd came on him
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His weapon quickly drew
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He was bound to die defended
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As all brave cowboys do
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The weapon flashed like lightning
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And it sounded loud and clear
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As the cattle rushed and killed him
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He dropped the leading steer
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When I broke through that wide circle
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To where poor Utah lay
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With a thousand wounds and bruises
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His life blood ebbed away
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I knelt down close beside him
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And I knew that all was o'er
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As I heard him faintly whisper
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"Good-bye, my sweet Lenore"
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Next morning at the churchyard
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I heard the preacher say
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"Don't think our kind friend Utah
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Was lost on that great day
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He was a much-loved cowboy
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And not afraid to die
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And we'll meet him at the round up
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On the plains beyond the sky"
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So you ask me my kind friend
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Why I am sad and still
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And why my brow is darkened
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Like the clouds upon the hill
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Rein in your ponies closer
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And I'll tell you all a tale
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Of Utah Carroll, partner
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And his last ride on the trail
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-----------------
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Utah Carroll
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| Arlo Guthrie |
