Lyrics
Mr. Garfield been shot down, shot down, shot down
Mr. Garfield been shot down low
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
"Mr. Garfield been shot down, shot down, shot down
Mr. Garfield been shot down low"
Lord I knew the President was supposed to be at the depot that day
And we just would't believe that he's 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
"Mr. Garfield been shot down, shot down, shot down
Mr. Garfield been shot down low"
Well everybody drifted off toward 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 shoot the President?"
And he said, "It was Charlie Guiteau that shoot Mr. Garfield"
And I said
"Charlie Guiteau done shot down a good man, good man
Charlie Guiteau done shot down a good man low"
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 Mrs. Lucretia
He said, "Crete, honey," he called her Crete
Said, "If somethin' worse happens to me after awhile 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
"You'll make some good man a good wife, good wife