%images; ]> scsm-000030 The shooting of our presidents / words and music by Seth A. Cook, composer of The broken hearted child ...: a machine readable transcription. STERN COLLECTION OF LINCOLNIANA, Library of Congress Selected and converted. American Memory, Library of Congress.

Washington, DC, 2006.

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 Rare Book & Special Collections Division, Library of Congress. Public Domain

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 2008/04/18
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The Shooting of Our Presidents.

The latest songs are all the rage In most any place you go You will hear them sung upon the street By ev'ry one you know. Just listen now my friends to me A tale I will relate Of the shooting of our Presidents In our great United States. The first one was that great old man Abe Lincoln was his name. The next one was James A. Garfield In this world had gained great fame. Two greater men could not be found In this wide world of ours. They shot them down without a word In the grandest of their hours.

Chorus: O this seems an awful outrage On this country good and free To shoot and kill our Presidents Where there is such Liberty. Now this country ought to make some law To punish guilty ones To make them suffer death for it As soon as it is done.

The next sad shooting then occurred At the Exposition grand Where our Chief had gone to Buffalo To shake extended hands. In speaking there he said, “I'm pleas'd To be with you today.” I am proud of our great Nation wide.” They no doubt then heard him say For four long years I did my best To serve my country right. We must agree with him my friends It was done right out of sight. In all the trouble that we had For Cuba there with Spain. He used great judgment ev'ry way And retained his great good name.

The Temple of Music was the place This outrageous crime was done Where McKinley met his sad death blow As brave as Washington. His courage never seem'd to fail, To rest he always tried. Then he called his dear wife to his side And said “Good-bye all” and died. “He's resting now” his dear wife said, And free from his great pain. I hope our God will see that we May both meet in heav'n again. The dear man was too good to live, On earth he could not stay. I hope he's resting peacefully With the angels far away.