"Charles Guiteau" (LAWS E11) Roud 444 is a traditional song about the assassination of US President James A. Garfield by Charles J. Guiteau. It is based on another old ballad, "James A. Rogers".[1][2] The song is told from the point of view of the assassin himself.[3]
For a while, it was believed that Guiteau wrote the song himself, possibly because of the poem "I am Going to the Lordy", which Guiteau actually did write on the day of his execution.[4]
It is not to be confused with another ballad about the assassination, "Mr. Garfield," which was popularized by Johnny Cash.[3] Bascom Lamar Lunsford recorded both songs in 1949 for the Library of Congress.[3] There exists a handwritten document of a folk song "Charles Guiteau's Life" with Inez Conner listed as the author. The page has four stanzas, it is noted on the paper as a gift to "Mr. Charley Grant, Mt. Claire, Nuckolls county, Nebraska. August 2, 1890."
Recordings
- Norman Blake
- Bascom Lamar Lunsford on Songs and Ballads of American History and the Assassination of Presidents recorded 1949, released by Library of Congress 1952, re-released by Rounder 1998
- Kelly Harrell 1927 on Anthology of American Folk Music, Smithsonian Folkways 1997
- Ramblin' Jack Elliot circa 1955 on compilation Badmen, Heroes and Pirates, mono LP release (out of print)
- Dave Fredrickson and Crabgrass, circa 1960, on Arhoolie LP 4001, reissued on CD 518-B in conjunction with book Hear Me Howling! Blues, Ballads & Beyond, recorded by Chris Strachwitz with text by Adam Machado (El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Productions, 2010).
See also
References
- ^ Waltz, Bob. "Remembering Old Songs: Charles Guiteau" (web reprint of Inside Bluegrass July 1997). Retrieved 2008-03-08.
- ^ "Charles Guiteau". Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
- ^ a b c "Mr. Garfield and Charles Guiteau". Field Trip South. UNC Blogs. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ Vowell, Sarah (2006). Assassination Vacation. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. p. 177. ISBN 978-0-7432-6004-6. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
