I'm holding my head up I'm not gonna cry Or tell them I need her And that without her I would die I'm not gonna argue They won't listen to me I'm just gonna stay right here Under the poplar tree ♪ Let me tell you a story It happened this way It was born out of longing In a man that's gone astray I've been to the valley In the shadow of death I've crossed many rivers Wearing a scar on my chest Can I outrun this heartache? A man, he sure can try I gave my all to that woman Then she turned around and said goodbye ♪ I was in a high desert Dell City was the town That's when my luck turned south This ol' boy started showin' out He killed the clerk and a young girl Who was only standin' there He looked at me real peculiar With the bullets flying through the air I lit out in a hurry He went out in a hearse Heartbroken and wanted Couldn't tell you which one of 'em is worse ♪ He must've been real important 'Cause his posse caught up to me I was holding my head up When they hung me from a poplar tree Yes, they hung me from the poplar tree