The great songwriter, Stephen Foster, is most known for songs such as "Campton Races," "Beautiful Dreamer," and "My Old Kentucky Home." However, Foster happened to be a member of the Demoractic Party. He was also an in-law of James Buchanan, who ran in the 1856 presidential election. He witnessed a Republican parade that year in his home state of Pennsylvania. He thought the view of the speakers were ridiculous, as were the participants. Foster wrote "The Great Baby Show" in response to that political gathering.
Air: Villikins & his Dinah
Lyrics: Stephen Foster
On the Seventeenth day of September, you know,
Took place in our city the great baby show;
They shut up the factories and let out the schools,
For the Seventeenth day was the day of all fools.
Chorus:
Sing tu ral lal lu ral la lu ral lal lay.
Sing tu ral lal lu ral la lu ral lal lay.
They made a procession of wagons and boats,
Of raccoons and oxen (they all have their votes)
Sledge hammers, triangles and carpenter's tools,
One thousand and eight hundred horses and mules.
Chorus
They had gemmen ob color to join in their games
And jokers and clowns of all ages and names
They had pop guns and tin pans and all kinds of toys
And a very fine party of women and boys.
Chorus
They had young men on horse back, so nice and so gay,
Aged Seventeen years on this Seventeenth day,
And the ladies all thought they were bold cavaliers
These bright looking lads ages seventeen years.
Chorus
They had grim border-ruffians, I'll bring to your mind,
And they've plenty more left of the very same kind,
They drank from a flask and played cards on the way,
And the children looked on, on this Seventeenth day.
Chorus
They had Ohio Yankess of Western Reserve
Who live upon cheese, ginger cakes and preserve,
Abolition's their doctrine their rod and their staff,
And they'll fight for a sixpence an hour and a half.
Chorus
Now was it not Kind in these good simple clowns
To amuse all the children in both of our towns
To shut up their work shops and spend so much money
To black up their faces, get tight and be funny.
Chorus
They called it a council of freemen you know
But I told you before 'twas a great baby show,
For when they had met they had nothing to say
But "Poor Bleeding Kansas" and "Ten Cents A Day"
Chorus
Then their ship Constitution was hauled through the street
With sixteen small guns she was armed complete
But the brave ship of State by which Democrats stand
Carries thirty one guns with old Buck in command
Chorus
In the year '45 when the fire laid us waste
Old Buck gave us five hundred dollars in haste
They then took his money and lauded his name
But he's now "Ten cent Jimmy", their banners proclaim.