The Death Of Mr. Garfield (The Assassination Of Old Garfield)

Walkin’ down the street the other day
I heard the report of a pistol
And a friend of mine looked up sort excited like
And said what could that mean?
And I give him some sort like this:

Well, they tell me Mr. Garfield been shot down the road,
Well, they tell me Mr. Garfield been shot.

Now I saw a crowd gathered up over there, went across, went in
And I saw Mr. Garfield alaying on the bed
And I said: "Howdy Mr. Garfield, how are you feelin?"
And he looked up sort of sad like and he gives me some sort like this:

Well, they tell me I’ve been shot down very lowdown,
Well, they tell me I’ve been shot down low.

Now there’s a lot of folks there that evening and a bunch of them stayed for dinner
And one of the fellows that stayed for dinner was a city fellow from Chicago
And I asked him if he’d liked something to eat
And he said "Yes I would, just bring me something I’m used to"
And he gave me some sort like this:

Well bring on your ham and your eggs Lord, Lord
Yeah bring on your ham and your eggs.

Now there’s a city -a country fellow there
Excuse me, folks a country fellow it should have been
And he was there and you know how country fellows are
I asked him if he’d liked something to eat
And he said “Yep”, that’s always what country fellows say: “ Yep”
Just bring me some I’m used to
And he give me some sort like this:

Well bring on your bacon and your beans Lord, Lord
Yeah bring on your bacon and your beans.

Now Mrs. Garfield that evening finished up doing the dishes - supper dishes
And she walked into the bedroom, she walked up to the bed and she looked down to Mr. Garfield
And she said "Mr. Garfield, if something does go wrong and you don’t get well
Would you mind if I married again?"
And he gave her some sort like this:

Don't you never let a chance go by Lord, Lord
Don't you never let a chance go by.

Now the next day, I was walkin’ down the road
And I saw Mrs. Garfield coming down the road towards me
And I saw her arms were full of roses
And I said "Howdy Mrs. Garfield, what you’re gonna do with them roses?"
And she said: Well sir I’m gonna put them on my husband's grave.
And she give me some sort like this:

I'll bury him on that long flow'ry branch, Lord, Lord
I’ll bury him on that long flow'ry branch.

Traditional, adapted and arranged by Bascom Lamar Lunsford
(as it appears on the album Folkland Songs)


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