You all remember the town
of Harpers Ferry, Virginia
But no one remembers now
who stood and watched that day
The mob kept on drinking,
till John Brown's body was swinging
And Booth, the actor,
was thinking about what
part he might play
To put on a play,
John Wilkes, is that your
If you find a state,
you better hope your friends
are waiting in Maryland.
You had hope to follow,
but you'll always live in your
brother's shadow.
So what have you got to show?
What can you call your own?
Well, let's see, some southern swagger
A derringer and a dagger
The un sure nerve of a bragger
The strength to trigger a gun
To put on a play John Wilkes,
is that your plan?
Well, if you find a stay,
you'd better hope your friends are waiting,
your friends are waiting
You ride the fastest mare in town,
and even with a crippled leg
You burst from the alley
and begin a gallop through the dark
Muddy, un finished streets
that take you to the riverside
It's a wise route you choose
The bridge keep has yet to hear the news
And that far bank, that misty marshland
Is the South, the South
Ten days you shake and shiver
Like a rat by the river
No one comes to deliver you
From the country's rage
And though the country's torn in two
Either side could have
told you
Shakespearean tragedy
Belongs on the stage
To put on a play John Wilkes,
is that your plan?
Well if you find a stay, yeah
You better hope your friends
Are waiting in Maryland,