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 ….