John Wilkes Booth came to Washington,
<br />An actor great was he,
<br />He played at Ford's Theater,
<br />And Lincoln went to see.
<br />
<br />It was early in April,
<br />Not many weeks ago,
<br />The people of this fair city
<br />All gathered at the show.
<br />
<br />The war it is all over,
<br />The people happy now,
<br />And Abraham Lincoln arose,
<br />Arose to make his bow;
<br />
<br />The people cheer him wildly,
<br />Arising to their feet,
<br />And Lincoln waving of his hand,
<br />He calmly takes his seat.
<br />
<br />And while he sees the play go on,
<br />His thoughts are running deep,
<br />His darling wife, close by his side,
<br />Has fallen fast asleep.
<br />
<br />From the box there hangs a flag,
<br />It's not the Stars and Bars,
<br />The flag that holds within its folds
<br />Bright gleaming stripes and stars.
<br />
<br />John Wilkes Booth he moves down the aisle,
<br />He had measured once before,
<br />He passes Lincoln's bodyguard
<br />A-nodding at the door.
<br />
<br />He holds a dagger in his right hand,
<br />A pistol in his left,
<br />He shoots poor Lincoln in the temple,
<br />And he sends his soul to rest.
<br />
<br />The wife awakes from slumber,
<br />And screams in her rage,
<br />Booth jumps over the railing
<br />And lands him on the stage.
<br />
<br />He'll rue the day, he'll rue the hour,
<br />As God him life shall give,
<br />When Booth stood in that center stage,
<br />Crying, "Tyrants shall not live!"
<br />
<br />The people all excited
<br />Then cried everyone, "A hand!"
<br />Cried all the people near,
<br />"For God's sake, save that man!"
<br />
<br />Then Booth ran back with boot and spurs
<br />Across the backstage floor,
<br />He mounts that trusty claybank mare,
<br />All saddled at the door.
<br />
<br />John Wilkes Booth, in his last play,
<br />All dressed in broadcloth deep,
<br />He gallops down the alleyway,
<br />I hear those horses feet.
<br />
<br />Poor Lincoln then was heard to say,
<br />And all has gone to rest,
<br />"Of all the actors in this town,
<br />I loved Booth the best."<br /><br />