[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)