'Twas an afternoon in springtime
Folks were happy everywhere
Preparing for the joyous evening
Never dreaming death was near
To a little country school house
They were thinking they would go
They would have a jolly evening
At the children's little show
You could hear those children singin'
Voices ringin' clear and sweet
Never dreaming in their joy
Of the fate that they would meet
But their joys they all were blighted
They began to scream and rage
When a lantern fell that evening
Streaming fire upon the stage
It was on that fatal evening
They could not control the fire
They madly dashed about for freedom
But they perished in the fire
You could hear those children screaming
While the flames were roaring high
Daddy come and get your babies
Will you stand and let us die
All the fathers they were tryig
To their little ones to go
But the brave old fellows perished
In the chaos from the show
Little children they were trampled
In that mighty rolling flame
Others on that night were screaming
Death was dealing just the same
There's a lonely spire[?] in Cleveland
Nicely fenced around in wire
There's a monument erected
Tells the story of the fire.