These are the words of a frontier man   Who lost his love when he turned bad      Take a message to Mary   But don't tell here where I am   Take a message to Mary   But don't say I'm in a jam      You can tell her that I had to see the world   Tell her that my ship set sail   You can say she'd better not wait for me   But don't tell her I'm in jail, oh don't tell her I'm in jail      Take a message to Mary   But don't tell her what I've done   Please, don't mention the stage coach   And the shot from a carried gun      You better tell her that I had to change my plans   And cancel out the wedding day   But please, don't mention the lonely cell   Where I'm gonna pine away, until my dying-day      Take a message to Mary   But don't tell her all you know   My heart is aching for Mary   Lord know I miss her so      Just tell her that I went to Timbuktu   Tell her I'm searching for gold   You can say she better find someone new   To cherish and to hold, oh Lord, this cell is so cold