They're gonna lay me low (Lay me low)
They're gonna sink me in the snow
They're gonna throw back their heads and crow
When I go

They're gonna jump and shout (Lay me low)
They're gonna wave their arms about
All the stories will come out
When I go

All the stars will glow bright (Lay me low)
And my friends will give up the fight
They'll see my work in a different light
When I go

They'll try telephoning my mother (Lay me low)
But they'll end up getting my brother
Who'll spill the story on some long-gone lover
That I hardly know

Hats off to the man
On top of the world
Come crawl up here, baby
And I'll show you how it works

If you wanna be my friend
And you wanna repent
And you want it all to end
And you wanna know when
Well, do it now. don't care how
Take your final bow
Make a stand, take my hand
And blow it all to hell

They gonna inform the police chief (Lay me low)
Who'll breathe a sigh of relief
He'll say I was a malanderer, a badlander and a thief
When I go

They will interview my teachers (Lay me low)
Who'll say I was one of God's sorrier creatures
There'll print informative six-page features
When I go

They'll bang a big old gong (Lay me low)
The motorcade will be ten miles long
The world will join together for a farewell song
When they put me down below

They'll sound a fluegelhorn (Lay me low)
And the sea will rage, and the sky will storm
All man and beast will mourn
When I go

Hats off to the man
On top of the world
Come crawl up here, baby
And we can watch this damn thing turn
If you wanna be my friend
And you wanna repent
And you want it all to end
And you wanna know when
Well do it now, do it now
Take a long last bow
Take my hand, make a stand
And blow it all to hell

Lay me low ...
Lay me low, lay me low ...
When I go ...