Mr. Garfield

Lyrics

[Refrain] Mr. Garfield been shot down, shot down, shot down Mr. Garfield been shot down low [Verse 1] Me and my brother was down close to the depot When I heard the report of a pistol My brother run out and come back in all excited And I said, "What was it?" and he said "It was the report of a pistol," and then he said that [Refrain] Mr. Garfield been shot down, shot down, shot down Mr. Garfield been shot down low [Verse 2] Lord, I knew the President was supposed to be at the depot that day, and We just wouldn't believe that he was shot But we'd run over there and there was so many folks around that We couldn't see him, but some lady was standin' there crying, and I said "Ma'am, what was it that happened, ma'am?" and she said [Refrain] Mr. Garfield been shot down, shot down, shot down Mr. Garfield been shot down low [Verse 3] Well, everybody drifted off towards home finally, and They looked like they felt about as bad as I did, but In a few weeks I heard that the President was still alive And I told my brother, I said Let's get on that train and go to where he's laid up hurt Well, when we got to his big house up there I asked the fellow I said, "Who was it that did it? Who was it that shot the President?" And he said it was Charlie Guiteau that shot Mr. Garfield, and I said [Refrain] Charlie Guiteau done shot down a good man, good man Charlie Guiteau done shot down a good man low [Verse 4] I heard some fellow there that Had been in the house to see the President And I sidled up him to listen to what he was telling, and he said Mrs. Lucretia Garfield was always at his side In the heat of the day fanning him when he was hot He said that just that day the President said to Miss Lucretia He said, "Crete, honey," he called her Crete Said, "If somethin' worse happens to me After a while you get yourself a good man" And Mrs. Lucretia said, "James," she called him James She said, "I won't hear to that now," she said "I love you too much," but he said [Refrain] You'll make some good man a good wife, good wife You'll make some man a good, good wife Don't pull in single harness all your life, good gal Don't pull in single harness all your life [Verse 5] That's what he said, "Don't pull in single harness all your life" Well, a few days later I come back to where the President was resting And it seems everybody was crying The flag was hanging halfway up the flagpole in front of the house Everybody looked so sad and I asked a soldier boy there I said, "Is— Is Mr. Garfield—" and he said, "Yeah, he's gone" [Refrain] Gonna lay him in that cold, lonesome ground down low Gonna lay him in that cold, lonesome ground Well, they laid the President by that long, cold branch Mr. Garfield's been laid down low [Outro] Mr. Garfield's been shot down, shot down, shot down (Mr. Garfield has been shot down) Mr. Garfield's been shot down low (Mr. Garfield's been shot) Mr. Garfield's been shot down, shot down, shot down (Mr. Garfield's been shot down) Mr. Garfield's been shot down low (Mr. Garfield's been shot)