"About the time that Tombstone, Arizona was at it's rip roaring, wild wooliest worst, President James Garfield was shot, in borad daylight, at a railway depot back east. Someone was heard to remark later, I wonder if they'll blame that on Jesse James too. Well if they did blame Jesse James, they didn't for very long because they soon learnt that it Charlie Guiteau thnat shot down President Garfield."

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 cryin'
And I said m'am what was it that happened m'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 tellin' and he said
Mrs Lucretia Garfield was always at his side
In the heat of the day fannin' 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
You'll make some man a good good good wife

(Don't pull in single harness all your life good gal
Don't pull in single harness all your life)

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 restin'
And it seems everybody was cryin'
The flag was hangin' halfway up to the flagpole in front of the house
And everybody looked so sad and I asked a soldier boy there
And I said is is is Mr Garfield and he said yeah he's gone

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
Mr Garfield has been shot dow Mr Garfield's been shot

Mr Garfield been shot down low
Mr Garfield been shot
Mr Garfield been shot down low
Mr Garfield been shot.

