# Last verse of "The Streets of Laredo" aka "Cowboy's Lament" song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [April 1, 2021, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-verse-of-the-streets-of-laredo-aka-cowboys-lament-song/939163 "2021-04-01T15:25:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-verse-of-the-streets-of-laredo-aka-cowboys-lament-song/939163/1 "2021-04-01T15:25:10Z")
I think there’s a version of this song with the last verse in a minor key. Johnny Cash’s version has the major key in every verse but Allan Sherman’s parody “The Streets of Miami” has the minor-key last verse. Can you point me to a non-parody performance of the song that has the minor-key last verse? Thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-verse-of-the-streets-of-laredo-aka-cowboys-lament-song/939163/2 "2021-04-01T15:41:03Z")
Moved to Cafe Society ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-verse-of-the-streets-of-laredo-aka-cowboys-lament-song/939163/3 "2021-04-02T03:59:32Z")
Hmm. I know that Theodore Bikel sang a very strange minor key bit of streets of Laredo when he appeared on Gunsmoke, but that’s only because MeTV has been running it in promos. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c8Z4Feb9QQ) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-verse-of-the-streets-of-laredo-aka-cowboys-lament-song/939163/4 "2021-04-02T05:11:25Z")
I think that’s just a nice touch on the part of Allan Sherman. He didn’t get it from Jim Reeves or Marty Robbins. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-verse-of-the-streets-of-laredo-aka-cowboys-lament-song/939163/5 "2021-04-03T00:36:42Z")
Sorry, I couldn’t resist looking this up on the very first LP I listened to … a live Kingston Trio album with a song called [“Laredo?” (Live at UCLA, '61).](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA_YfWTbw-U) ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-verse-of-the-streets-of-laredo-aka-cowboys-lament-song/939163/6 "2021-04-03T01:51:55Z")
An excellent rendition by [Webb Wilder](https://youtu.be/BPUFmXXc3Hw) ---
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-verse-of-the-streets-of-laredo-aka-cowboys-lament-song/939163/7 "2021-04-03T15:41:15Z")
Thank you for all your responses!