The 1828 election was a rough one for incumbent John Quincy Adams, who faced serious opposition from his popular rival, Andrew Jackson. Things weren't looking good for the Adams camp his vice president, John C. Calhoun had even switched sides to support Jackson. So instead of a self-promoting jingle, Adams went for the jugular. Little Know Ye Who's Coming definitely one of the weirder campaign songs ever penned warns of fire, slavery, pestilence and plague if John Quincy Adams loses the election: "Fire's a-comin', swords a-comin'/pistols, guns and knives are comin'/...if John Quincy not be comin'." Unfortunately it didn't work: Jackson won in a landslide.
By Claire Suddath