Robbins, Marty - Cottonwood Tree Lyrics

The man paints incredible stories with his songs!!!!!!!

I really love Marty Robbins.

OMG Just listen to that Voice.

I like both kinds of music, country and western

Is this the same old dan from cool water

Marty dies in a lot of his songs

Anyone know the chords for this?

Country music used to be metal af.

I rode into Tucson three hours ago
For supplies and a short friendly game of poker
While Smitty put some new shoes on
Old Dan before he goes lame

I sat in a game at the Miner's Saloon
Soon I had doubled my stake
The cards run like they'd been dealt by Lady Luck
They were just sealin' my fate

A young cowboy lost more than he could afford
And accused me of dealin' too smart
His draw was too slow and he fell to the floor
With three bullets close to the heart

Oh, cottonwood tree are you waiting for me
Waiting to take me away
I've done no wrong but the town cannot see
And so with my life I must pay

A crowd started gatherin' the sheriff came in
I handed him over my gun
Was then when I found out the boy I had killed
Was the town's biggest man's only son

I tried to explain I had shot in defense
It was the young cowboy or me
The crowd wouldn't listen so they drug me out
To the limb of this cottonwood tree

Majestically standing out here all alone
It's spring and the valley is green
But I can't admire a place It don't belong to me
It's all like a bad dream

But old Dan's beneath me with new shows and all
As they place the noose round my neck
Cowboys I've never laid eyes on before
Are tyin' my hands to my back

Oh, cottonwood tree are you waiting for me
Waiting to take me away
I've done no wrong but the town cannot see
And so with my life I must pay

I see hate in the eyes of the town's biggest man
As he pulls a branch from the tree
To whip the backside of my old pony Dan
So he'll run out from under me

Insane, he won't listen to my last appeal
A wild grin has covered his face
As I tried to reason just how he would feel
If he were up here in my place

There's many a mountain trail I'll never ride
Green valleys I'll never see
A young cowboy died and a man's foolish pride
Brought me to this cottonwood tree

My face is turned upward and I cannot breathe
The sky's growing dark overhead
The knot's pulling tight as my body swepts free
A few moments more I'll be dead

Oh, cottonwood tree are you waiting for me
Waiting to take me away
I've done no wrong but the town cannot see
And so with my life I must pay...

The final chorus is:
*_Oh cottonwood tree_*
*_were you put here for me_*
*_put here to take me away_*

I rode into Tucson three hours ago
For supplies and a short friendly game of poker
While Smitty put some new shoes on
Old Dan before he goes lame.
I sat in a game at the Miner's Saloon
Soon I had doubled my stake
The cards run like they'd been dealt by Lady Luck
They were just sealin' my fate
A young cowboy lost more than he could afford
And accused me of dealin' too smart
His draw was too slow and he fell to the floor
With three bullets close to the heart
Oh, cottonwood tree are you waiting for me
Waiting to take me away
I've done no wrong but the town cannot see
And so with my life I must pay.
A crowd started gatherin' the sheriff came in
I handed him over my gun
Was then when I found out the boy I had killed
Was the town's biggest man's only son.
I tried to explain I had shot in defense
It was the young cowboy or me
The crowd wouldn't listen so they drug me out
To the limb of this cottonwood tree.
Majestically standing out here all alone
It's spring and the valley is green
But I can't admire a place I don't belong
to me
It's all like a bad dream.
But old Dan's beneath me with new shows and all
As they place the noose round my neck
Cowboys I've never laid eyes on before
Are tyin' my hands to my back.
Oh, cottonwood tree are you waiting for me
Waiting to take me away
I've done no wrong but the town cannot see
And so with my life I must pay.
I see hate in the eyes of the town's biggest man
As he pulls a branch from the tree
To whip the backside of my old pony Dan
So he'll run out from under me.
Insane, he won't listen to my last appeal
A wild grin has covered his face
As I tried to reason just how he would feel
If he were up here in my place.
There's many a mountain trail I'll never ride
Green valleys I'll never see
A young cowboy died and a man's foolish pride
Brought me to this cottonwood tree.
My face is turned upward and I cannot breathe
The sky's growing dark overhead
The knot's pulling tight as my body swepts free
A few moments more I'll be dead.
Oh, cottonwood tree are you waiting for me
Waiting to take me away
I've done no wrong but the town cannot see

Again, final chorus is:
*_Oh cottonwood tree_*
*_were you put here for me_*
*_put here to take me away_*

Cottonwood Cove

Greatest of all time

Marty Robbins HAD to have had "another life"! His ballads are to good to be just made up !

My absolute favorite folk Western singer and storyteller

marty is the greatest singer ever love him brilliant

21 people knew the Town's Biggest Man's only son

Marty's characters just have the worst of luck don't they?

Most of them yes

God, this is sad. Better than most sad songs today. A lot of Marty's songs could be perfect short stories/films. Love it.

What does "Dealing too small" mean?

ooh, I guess that makes more sense. than "too small." no wonder I didn't understand it; I didn't hear it properly lol, thanks.

@duke john No problem

Its Too Smart Listen to the rhyme

Stacking the deck

Dealing too smart. He was the dealer as well as one of the players at table. So, he was accused of dealing himself the good cards which is cheating.

hell 420 likes

When he sings you can see the scene unfold of the story he is singing

So true

Marty knew. Life is worth less than fecal matter. Humanity is all the proof I need

No doubt

So where was the cottonwood tree photo taken, do you know?

I live in Tucson. There were no cottonwoods here, until the 20th century!

Montana

Wow, I listed to this song 5 years ago, and had forgotten. Yep, I'm old.

busterthehedgehog
6nnn d

busterthehedgehog quip has nd if St rg CD an mtx sh sh he GC

when he talks about never riding the trails or seeing the valleys again, that just makes me so sad

cbass7283 not joke

Marty Robbins was my dad's favorite singer. I  also love to hear him sing. He was one of the best.

his voice was/is honey and the guitar work is just sooooo pretty love Marty x

Marry Robbins will always be the number one story teller through a song I will EVER hear.

Patrick Peters he is an some of them are so beautifully sung by this great voice

Patrick Peters just love Marty best ever

I love Marty’s music it always makes me feel like I’m there in the song

greatest voice ever made no one will ever come near to mr marty

noel cleghorn Waylon Jennings is not a story teller but his voice is just as good

Just love Marty best ever

Looks like 9 pople done no wrong but the town wont listen

10 nah 9

darkball31 17 peoples cards weren't dealt by lady luck

Marty Robbins has been my favorite singer since i was seven and he still is!!!!

Lucky I've only discovered him at 15 last year

As with the rest of his music; Just Fantastic!

Its amazing how  that every  now and then I hear one that I missed from this county Bard. great song. Thanks

WONDERFUL!!l! As always ,a great singer!!

Two people have these things called opinions.

Whoever Disliked this song is entitled to their own opinion, even if it does blow. Marty Robbins is great!

I feel like the people that disliked this song don't even like country music and just go trolling for all country songs to dislike them.

@zaaritha Answer: No!

@XxGothSpikeXx Agree completely. The disliker is a moron. Marty Robbins is up there with the best. There will never be another like him.

1 person's draw was too slow and he fell to the dislike button

huntergratzner1 13 people need to work on drawing their guns faster

21 people are too slow and idiots too

@Stephen Troxel you mean 1 and 19 more?

My dad used to sing this song to us, and said it was a Marty Robbins song. But I could never find it on any Marty Robbins albums that were in print at the time. Nice to be able to listen to it here.

Everything about Marty said class and immense talent...could listen to that voice forever...

Great song from♥ Marty Robbins..
He has a voice who couldnt melt hearts.♥♥
He was the biggest country singer forever..

I think he had a voice that COULD melt hearts.

Has he recorded a bad tune?
He was always good!

Maj-Brith H no...all great

It is if you are reading a book,the way that this great man sang a song,he put somuch feelings into the song that you almost believe they put the string around your own neck.This man was the greatest storybook singer that ever lived,may he rest in peace together with his lovely wife Marizona.Thanks to you LifeOfCountry we can still enjoy his great music,thank you somuch.