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 ….