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I Was There at the End
by Operational Cadence

A traditional folk murder ballad told from the bedside.

This song uses the melody and chord progression of “Streets of Laredo”, a 19th-century American folk ballad that is firmly public domain.
All lyrics, vocals, instrumentation, and arrangement in this recording are original.

The narrator is the wife.
The husband is dying.
He confesses his sins.
She listens.
She stays.

The truth arrives quietly, the way it usually does.

This recording intentionally preserves the simplicity and inevitability of the traditional form. Minimal harmony. Repetitive structure. A melody designed to be carried, not decorated. The story does the work.

Credits & Attribution
Traditional folk melody: Streets of Laredo (Public Domain)
New lyrics and arrangement: Operational Cadence
Recorded and produced by Operational Cadence

Metadata
Artist: Operational Cadence
Track: I Was There at the End
Genre: Traditional Folk / Murder Ballad
Release Year: 2026

Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
He took to his bed by the window wide
Cold wind cutting through
Said “Come sit close, my faithful bride
There’s things I must tell you”

[Verse 2]
His hands were thin, his breath came slow
Like a clock about to quit
He said “I’ve lived more wrong than right
And now I’m paying for it”

[Chorus]
And I was there at the end, my dear
When the light went low and thin
I held his hand, I said amen
And I was there at the end

[Verse 3]
He spoke of debts and bitter men
And cards he should not have played
Said “If I’d listened half as well
I'd have known which debt got paid”

[Verse 4]
He asked me softly, almost kind
“If you forgive me now”
I kissed his cheek, I smoothed his hair
And told him not to fear

[Chorus]
Yes I was there at the end, my dear
When his words began to bend
I closed my eyes, I prayed a lie
And I was there at the end

[Bridge]
The doctor said it was the fever
The river water, bad and brown
The preacher said the Lord had called
Another good man down

[Verse 5]
They never asked me what I poured
They never checked the cup
They never wondered why I smiled
When he could not sit up

[Final Chorus]
I was there at the end, my dear
From the start right to the when
He told his sins, he named his fears
I poured the rest, and stayed till the end

[Outro]
So sing it slow, and sing it sweet
Like it was fate or chance
But every song needs someone there
To help it to its end

*Written as part of an ongoing exploration of genre and form.
Composed using traditional notation and modern production techniques.*