"The Dying Cowboy" is part of a very large family of similar songs. Some of the members of this family are:     "Pills of White Mercury",     "The Young Girl Cut Down In Her Prime",     "The Young Sailor Cut Down in His Prime",     "The Young Trooper Cut Down in His Prime",     "St. James's Hospital",     "Noo I'm a Young Man Cut Down in My Prime",     "Wrapped in Red Flannels",     "The Unfortunate Rake" and     "The Streets of Laredo". The British version centers on a victim of syphilis. He tells of his demise, either through promiscuity or a false hearted lover and how he wishes to be buried. The American version is along the same theme, but the American cowboy is suffering from a gun shot in the chest. The songs of this family that are included in this collection are:     The Young Sailor Cut Down in His Prime,     The Unfortunate Rake and     The Streets of Laredo. St. James Infirmary is also related to this family.