John Wilkes Booth came to Washington
An actor great was he
He played at Ford's Theater
And Lincoln went to see

It was early in April
Not many weeks ago
The people of this fair city
All gathered at the show

The war it is all over
The people happy now
And Abraham Lincoln arose
Arose to make his bow;

The people cheer him wildly
Arising to their feet
And Lincoln waving of his hand
He calmly takes his seat

And while he sees the play go on
His thoughts are running deep
His darling wife, close by his side
Has fallen fast asleep

From the box there hangs a flag
It's not the Stars and Bars
The flag that holds within its folds
Bright gleaming stripes and stars
John Wilkes Booth he moves down the aisle
He had measured once before
He passes Lincoln's bodyguard
A-nodding at the door

He holds a dagger in his right hand

A pistol in his left
He shoots poor Lincoln in the temple
And he sends his soul to rest

The wife awakes from slumber
And screams in her rage
Booth jumps over the railing
And lands him on the stage

He'll rue the day, he'll rue the hour
As God him life shall give
When Booth stood in that center stage
Crying, "Tyrants shall not live!"

The people all excited
Then cried everyone, "A hand!"
Cried all the people near
"For God's sake, save that man!"
Then Booth ran back with boot and spurs
Across the backstage floor
He mounts that trusty claybank mare
All saddled at the door

John Wilkes Booth, in his last play
All dressed in broadcloth deep
He gallops down the alleyway
I hear those horses feet

Poor Lincoln then was heard to say
And all has gone to rest
"Of all the actors in this town
I loved Booth the best."