Charles Guiteau (song)

"Charles Guiteau"
Song
Written	Unknown
Songwriter(s)	Inez Ella Conner

"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" written by Inez Conner listed as authoress. The page has four stanzas, it is noted on the paper 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).

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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.
"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.

5. Smith, Rick, handwritten document from Aug.2, 1890 in my possession.

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[1] Waltz, Bob. "Remembering Old Songs: Charles Guiteau" (web reprint of Inside Bluegrass July 1997). Retrieved 2008-03-08.

[2] "Charles Guiteau". Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-03-08.

[UNC-3] "Mr. Garfield and Charles Guiteau". Field Trip South. UNC Blogs. Retrieved 4 May 2018.

[4] Vowell, Sarah (2006). Assassination Vacation. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. p. 177. ISBN 978-0-7432-6004-6. Retrieved 28 June 2013.

Charles Guiteau (song)

Recordings

See also

References