The Ballad of Booth

The Ballad of Booth - Victor Garber

Someone tell the story

Someone sing the song

Every now and then

The country

Goes a little wrong

Every now and then

A madman's

Bound to come along

Doesn't stop the story

Story's pretty strong

Doesn't change the song

Johnny booth was a handsome devil

Got up in his rings and fancy silks

Had him a temper but kept it level

Everybody called him wilkes

Why did you do it johnny

Nobody agrees

You who had everything

What made you bring

A nation to its knees

Some say it was your voice had gone

Some say it was booze

Some say you killed a coutry john

Because of bad reviews

Johnny lived with a grace and glitter

Kind of like the lives he lived on stage

Died in a barn in pain and bitter

Twenty seven years of age

Why did you do it johnny

Throw it all away

Why did you do it boy

Not just destroy

The pride and joy

Of illinois

But all the u s a

Your brother made you jealous john

You couldn't fill his shoes

Was that the reason tell us john

Along with bad reviews

Damn

They're coming they'll be here any minute

I need your help

I've got to write this and i can't hold the pen

Johnny they've found us

We've got to get out of here

Not till i finish this

Johnny

No

Have you seen these papers

Do you know what they're calling me

A common cutthroat a hired assassin

This one says i'm mad

We must have been mad to think

That we could kill the president and get away with it

We did get away with it

He was a bloody tyrant and we brought him down

And i will not have history think i did it for a bag of gold

Or in some kind of rabid fit

Johnny we have to go

No i have to make my case

And i need you to take it down

We don't have time

Take it down

An indictment

Of the former president of the united states

Abraham lincoln who is herein charged

With the following high crimes and misdemeanors

They say you're ship was sinking john

One

That you did ruthlessly provoke a war between the states

Which cost some six hundred thousand

Of my countrymen their lives two

You'd started missing cues

Two

That you did silence your critics in the north

By hurling them into prison without benefit of charge or trial three

They say it wasn't lincoln john

Shut up three

You'd merely had a slew of bad

Reviews

I said shut up

Booth i have fifty soldiers out here booth

Give yourselves up or we'll set fire to the barn

Don't shoot i'm coming out

No

I have given my life for one act you understand

Do not let history rob me of its meaning

Pass on the truth you're the only one wo can

Please

He said

Damn you lincoln

You had your way

Tell'em boy

With blood you drew out

Of blue and gray

Tell it all

Tell'em till they listen

He said

Damn you lincoln

And damn the day

You threw the u out

Of u s a

He said

Hunt me down smear my name

Say i did it for the fame

What i did was kill the man who killed my country

Now the southland will mend

Now this bloody war can end

Because someone slew th tyrant

Just as brutus slew the tyrant

He said

Damn you lincoln

You righteous whore

Tell'em

Tell'em what he did

You turned your spite into civil war

Tell'em

Tell'em the truth

And more

Tell'em boy

Tell them how it happened

How the end doesn't mean that it's over

How surrender is not the end

Tell them

Hoe the country is not what it was

Where there's blood in the clover

How the nation can never again

Be the hope that it was

How the bruises may never be healed

How the wounds are forever

How the how we gave up the field

But we still wouldn't yield

How the union can never recover

From that vulgar

High and mighty

Niggerlover

Never

Never never never

No the country is not what it was

Damn my soul if you must

Let my body turn to dust

Let it mingle with the ashes of the country

Let them curse me to hell

Leave it to history to tell

What i did i did well

And i did it for my country

Let them cry dirty traitor

They will understand it later

The country is not what it was

Johnny booth was a headstrong fellow

Even he believed the things he said

Some called him noble some said yellow

What he was was off his head

How could you do it johnny

Calling it a cause

You left a legacy

Of butchery

And treason we

Took eagerly

And thought you'd get applause

But traitors just get jeers and boos

Not visits to their graves

While lincoln who got mixed reviews

Beacause of you john now gets only raves

Damn you johnny

You paved the way

For other madmen

To make us pay

Lots of madmen

Have had their say

But only for a day

Listen to the stories

Hear it in the songs

Angry men

Don't write the rules

And guns don't write the wrongs

Hurts a while

But soon the country's

Back where it belongs

And that's the truth

Still and all

Damn you booth