john wilkes booth was a southern man son of an actor in maryland bound for fortune on a gas lit stage bound to die at a tender age washington to baltimore he played the bills and he slept with whores and he burned inside with a hatred deep for the man who caused the south to weep young abe lincoln wasn t young no more tired old man when he won the war and he dreamed at night of his death by the hand of the bitter world and a faceless man and he saw his body in a ghastly dream draped in black while his widow screamed two silver dollars on his eyelids lay abraham lincoln has died today and they said there were five and they said there were ten some say that there was never more than just one man who would smile to see mr lincoln dead in the name of god and dixie in the name of god and dixie land john wilkes booth and his band of men they d failed before but would not again and good friday dawned with a fickle sun then booth declared the day had come and the word was passed and the guns were brought down to mary sarrat s boarding house sealed in a note booth named just four but would the gallows would swing with many more and they said there were five and they said there were ten some say that there was never more than just one man who would smile to see mr lincoln dead in the name of god and dixie in the name of god and dixie land john wilkes booth went to his grave with a bullet in his neck and a broken leg a patriot and his fantasy of redemption grace and bravery and those who were hanged and those who spent their lives behind a jailer s fence only booth could have proved them free of the taint of the conspiracy for they said there were five and they said there were ten some say that there was never more than just one man who would smile to see mr lincoln dead in the name of god and dixie in the name of god and dixie land in the name of god and dixie in the name of god and dixie land