Utah Carroll Lyrics - Arlo Guthrie

arranged and adapted by Arlo Guthrie 

So you ask me my kind friend 

Why I am sad and still 

And why my brow is darkened 

Like the clouds upon the hill 

Rein in your ponies closer 

And I'll tell you all a tale 

Of Utah Carroll, partner 

And his last ride on the trail 

In a grave without a headstone 

Without a date or name 

My partner lies there silent 

In the land from which I came 

Long ago we rode together 

We'd ridden side by side 

I loved him like a brother 

And I wept when Utah died 

While riding up one morning 

And our work was almost done 

The cattle quickly started 

On a wild and maddening run 

The boss's little daughter 

Who was riding on that side 

Rushed in to stop the stampede 

It was there my partner died 

Lenore upon her pony 

Tried to turn the cattle right 

But her blanket slipped beneath her 

And she caught and held on tight 

When we all saw that red blanket 

Each cowboy held his breath 

For should her pony fail her 

None could save the girl from death 

When the cattle saw the blanket 

Almost dragging on the ground 

They were maddened in a moment 

And they charged with deafening sound 

The girl soon saw her danger 

And she turned her pony's face 

And bending in her saddle 

Tried the blanket to replace 

Just then she lost her balance 

In the front of that wild tide 

Carroll's voice controlled the round up 

"Lie still, Lenore" he cried 

And then close up beside her 

Came Utah riding fast 

But little did the poor boy know 

The ride would be his last 

Full often from the saddle 

He had caught the trailing rope 

To pick her up at full speed 

Was now his only hope 

He swung low from his saddle 

To take her to his arm 

We thought that he'd succeeded 

That the girl was safe from harm 

But such a strain upon his saddle 

Had ne'er been put before 

And the cinches gave beneath him 

And he fell beside Lenore 

When the girl fell from her saddle 

She had dragged the blanket down 

It lay there close beside them 

Where they lay upon the ground 

Utah took the blanket 

And to Lenore he said 

"Lie still" and quickly running 

Waved the red thing o'er his head 

He turned the maddened cattle 

From Lenore, his little friend 

And as the mighty herd rushed toward him 

He turned to met his end 

And as the herd came on him 

His weapon quickly drew 

He was bound to die defended 

As all brave cowboys do 

The weapon flashed like lightning 

And it sounded loud and clear 

As the cattle rushed and killed him 

He dropped the leading steer 

When I broke through that wide circle 

To where poor Utah lay 

With a thousand wounds and bruises 

His life blood ebbed away 

I knelt down close beside him 

And I knew that all was o'er 

As I heard him faintly whisper 

"Good-bye, my sweet Lenore" 

Next morning at the churchyard 

I heard the preacher say 

"Don't think our kind friend Utah 

Was lost on that great day 

He was a much-loved cowboy 

And not afraid to die 

And we'll meet him at the round up 

On the plains beyond the sky" 

So you ask me my kind friend 

Why I am sad and still 

And why my brow is darkened 

Like the clouds upon the hill 

Rein in your ponies closer 

And I'll tell you all a tale 

Of Utah Carroll, partner 

And his last ride on the trail