Bury Me Not

A still from a live performance of the track, 1989

"***Bury Me Not (On the Lone Prairie)***" is a cowboy folk song. Also known as "***The Cowboy's Lament***", "***The Dying Cowboy***", "***Bury Me Out (On the Lone Prairie)***", and "(***Oh) Bury Me Not***", the song is described as the most famous cowboy ballad. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. Based on a sailor's song, the song has been recorded by many artists, including Moe Bandy, Johnny Cash, Cisco Houston, Burl Ives, Bruce Molsky, The Residents, Tex Ritter, Roy Rogers, Colter Wall and William Elliott Whitmore.

## Background

The song was originally written in 1839 by Edwin Hubbell Chapin & George N. Allen. This version was titled 'The Sailors Grave (Ocean Burial)', and featured completely different lyrics. The later cowboy version was first published in 1910, with no credited writer.

### The Residents

The song was first discovered by The Residents in 1987 in a collection of cowboy poems and songs, that inspired them to record a suite based around them.

The suite debuted at the 1987 live 'Boudisque' show, and later appeared in the March 1988 Off Beat Night Show.

The group recorded the song in 1987, and released it as part of the Buckaroo Blues suite on the UWEB exclusive album of the same name in January.

By July the track was performed at the first ever official Cube-E show, and continued to be performed for the rest of the shows run through 1990.

The song was revived in 2010, when it was performed as the encore to the Talking Light show, which ran from 2010 to 2011.

## Lyrics

```
Oh bury me not on the lone prairie
These words came slow and mournfully
From the bleeding lips of a youth who lay
On his dying bed at the close of day

```

```
He moaned in pain till over his head
The shadows of death grew thick like lead
He thought of his home and his family that night
As the cowboys gathered to watch him die

```

```
Oh bury me not on the lone prairie
Where the wild coyotes howl over me
In a narrow grave just 6 by 3
Oh bury me not on the lone prairie

```

```
In dreams I listen to the well known words
Of the wild free winds and the songs of birds
I think of the table where my mama put flowers
And the scenes I loved in those long lost hours

```

```
It matters not I've often been told
Where the body lies When the heart grows cold
Oh grant, oh grant, this wish to me
And bury me not on the lone prairie

```

```
I've always wished to be laid when I die
In the little churchyard on the green hillside
By my mama's grave please let mine be
And bury me not on the lone prairie

```

```
Oh bury me not-
And his voice stopped there
But we took no heed of his dying prayer
In a narrow grave, just 6 by 3
We buried him there, on the long prairie

```

## Releases

* Buckaroo Blues (1989)
* Buckaroo Blues & Black Barry (1989)
* Cube-E - Live In Holland (1990)
* In Memoriam Torso (1994)
* Land Of Mystery (1999)
* Live! ...On The Outskirts (2002)
* Kettles Of Fish On The Outskirts Of Town (2003)
* Cube-E  (2006)
* El Año Del Muerto (2009)
* Talking Light Live In Rehearsal, Santa Cruz, California (2010)
* Talking Light Downloads (2010 - 2011)
* Talking Light Bimbo's (2011)
* Talking Light: Bimbo's (2011)
* CUBE E Dynasone 3EZ (2011)
* Cube-E Box (2020)

#### Versions

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1987 Studio Version (3:00) Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; name ":1" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; name ":1" defined multiple times with different content
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 1989 Live Version (2:58)
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 1990 Live Version (3:02)
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 1988 Live Version (3:02)
5. ↑ 2010 Rehearsal Version (8:02)
6. ↑ 2010 Live Version (9 Minutes)
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 2011 Live Version (9:29)
8. ↑ 1987 Demo Version (2:58)