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 shot down shot down Mr Garfield been shot down low)