Lyrics Jonathan Coulton

Jonathan Coulton

The Presidents

Washington came first and he was perfect,

John Adams kept us out of war with France

Jefferson made a Louisiana Purchase

In 1812 James Madison kicked the British in the pants

James Monroe told Europe they could suck it

John Quincy Adams looked just like his Dad

Andrew Jackson got rid of all the Indians

Van Buren served one term but he wasn't bad

William Henry Harrison died early

John Tyler annexed Texas from Mexico

James K. Polk fought Mexico to keep it

Taylor was a Mexican War hero

Filmore gave a boat to Commodore Perry

Pierce repealed the Missouri Compromise

Buchanan saw the Civil War's beginnings

Lincoln saved the Union, then he died

Andrew Johnson just survived impeachment

General Grant enjoyed a drink or two Rutherford B. Hayes ended reconstruction

Garfield was assassinated in 1882 Arthur suspended Chinese immigration

Cleveland made the railroad people squirm

Harrison signed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act

Grover Cleveland served another term

McKinley kept the Spanish out of Cuba

Roosevelt was handy with a gun

Taft was big and fat and had a mustache

Wilson kicked some ass in World War I

Harding said let's laissez-faire with business

Coolidge made the roaring 20's roar

Hoover screwed the pooch in the Great Depression

Then Roosevelt beat the Nazis in the war

Truman dropped the bomb on Hiroshima

Eisenhower kept the commies well in hand

Kennedy was killed by a magic bullet

Johnson murdered kids in Vietnam

Nixon was a sweating filthy liar

Ford gave Nixon pardon for his crimes

Carter lusted in his heart for peanuts

Reagan won the Cold War and lost his mind

George Bush senior poked at Saddam Hussein

Clinton gave an intern a cigar

W's legacy's a work in progress

That is all the presidents so far

In the year 2005 we're out of money

Somewhere surely freedom's on the march

I don't like to make political statements