Utah Carroll Songtext
von 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 the 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 the 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 roundup, "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 arms
With thought that he′d succeeded, that the girl was safe from harm
But such a strain upon his saddle had never 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 meet his end
And as the herd came on him, his weapon quickly drew
He was bound to die defended as all brave cowboys do
His 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 where poor Utah lay
With a thousand wounds and bruises, his lifeblood ebbed away
I knelt down close beside him and I knew that all was o'er
As I heard him faintly whisper, "goodbye 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 roundup 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 the tale
Of Utah Carroll, partner, and his last ride on the trail