“A Fool There Was” Sheet Music (pdf).
“A Fool There Was” Karaoke (midi with lyrics).
Lyrics: Joseph Brandon.
Tune: “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.”
A fool there was and he had no job,
Even as you and I,
And he didn’t want to steal or rob,
Even as you and I,
And so each day he thinner grew,
He tightened his belt a notch or two,
’Til it nearly cut him right in two,
Even as you and I.
He voted for what he thought was change,
Even as you and I,
When nothing did he thought it strange,
Even as you and I,
But though the promises lost their shine,
He couldn’t help thinking it oh so kind
They’d saved him a place in the old soupline,
Even as you and I.
He watched depression growing worse,
Even as you and I,
As bankers looted the public purse,
Even as you and I.
They told him this was a country grand,
With plenty of everything in the land,
So he starved to death with a flag in his hand,
Even as you and I.