One time I drove to see a girl across the country

One night as I was driving through New Mexico

I had the windows wide open

It was cold and I was crying

And I laid her letter on the radio

Then I stopped outside of Tahoe

thru this tiny mining town

At a diner to refill for the ride

And in the wind I heard this crying

Like a heart broke right in two

I turned my collar up and went inside.



Well, I saw this smiling waitress

Joshing friendly with these truckers

They'd give her pats and she'd give them shoves

I said: “Miss what's that awful crying?”

Everybody laughed and said:

“It's the tomb of the unknown love”

And then they pointed out the window to this stone

All by itself, beneath the tree, beside the hill

And on that winter night

I read these words alone

These words that are haunting me still, it said:



He lies a young man struck down in his prime

By the awesome burning power of love

He couldn't stand this true love cheating

So he shot the girl down

They hung him from that tree up ( right ) above

I know that local folks say it's the wind

But I know it's crying 

from the tomb of the unknown love.



So I drove on to my destination

I did the job my heart commanded of me

And when the sheriff sirens came

I didn't even try to fight

They counted ten, I came out at three

So now I guess tomorrow morning

Warden reads some kind of paper

How I'm gonna pay the state for what I've done

Hey, then they'll put the shackles on me

And we'll take a little walk

They won't have to drag me ‘cos it's said and done

And maybe someday they can put me up a stone

All by itself, beneath the tree, beside the hill

And lovers everywhere can come and read along

These words that will give them a chill

and it'll say:



He lies a young man .