on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgCxN3pkQx0

Earl's recording of the song for Folkways is available as a download or a CD-R of the Album. Notes to most Folkways albums, which usually include song texts are available as pdf file on the Smithsonian Folkways site (free).

http://www.folkways.si.edu/earl-robinson/old-abe-lincoln/american-folk-struggle-protest/music/track/smithsonian


SIDE I, Band 4: ABE LINCOLN
Music: Earl Robinson Chorus words: Abraham Lincoln Verse words: Hayes & Robinson
Now old Abe Lincoln a great big giant of a man was he Yes sir! He was born in an old log cabin and he worked for a living Splittin' rails Now Abe he knew right from wrong, for he was honest as the day is long And these are the words he said,

REFRAIN: "This country with it's institutions belongs to the people who inhabit it" This country with it's constitution belong to us who 11 ve in it "Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government They can exercise their constitutional right of amending it Or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it."
Now Abe once ran a little country store in Salem Town Illinois! And a woman she paid him six pence more than she ought to've done A mistake So off thru' the storm old Abe went He paid that woman back every cent For Abe was an honest man.
Now Abe was close to the ground tho' he towered up six foot four Bare feet! And his heart was big as the whole country with room for more Blackfolks too He never forgot from whence he came Tho he landed in the White House and got great fame For Abe was a workin' I18n
(REFRAIN)
Now old Abe's eyes were set way back deep in his head A thinkin' man But you didn't need learnin' to understand what old Abe said Listen to this! "This Republic will never be free 'ttl the black man's out of slavery." And that made the Civil War.
Now sometimes Abe he wavered and shook like a great tall tree That's true For he wanted peace between the States in this country Like the Bible said! But Abe never crawled when the show down came Like some people now who take his name He beat those slave men down
Now old Abe Lincoln's dead and gone these eighty years A great man And every year the party he made says Lincoln's theirs No Sirl For if old Abe were l1vin' right now To the man at the bench and the man at the plough These are the words he'd say
(REFRAIN)

Best wishes, Thomas.