Ballad of Yvonne Johnson Lyrics

CAPO: 2nd Fret
INTRO: F C F C
My name is Yvonne Johnson
My native blood is Cree
I'm here to tell the story
Of the life stolen from me
My grandfather's grandfather was
The great war chief Big Bear
And Flora my grandmother worked
With medicine and prayer
My mother is Saskatchewan
My daddy ex-Marine
And I was just a half-breed
Falling somewhere in between
Somewhere in between
Raised up in a reckless world
Of drugs and alcohol
The police killed my brother, Earl
The only one who cared at all
Cleft palate split my face in two
No surgery can repair
I lived in shame and ridicule
Foundations of despair
Foundations of despair
First memory of my brother, Leon
I was only three
He threw me on the table
Forced himself inside of me
All the kids stood 'round
As I descended into hell
When I told my daddy 'bout it
Well, he had his way as well, boys
He took me down as well
I didn't have a language
For the pain I suffered through
Escaping into marriage
But your past just catches up with you
Until I had three children
And a ragged family
A desperate urge to keep them
From the wolves that got to me, boys
Wolves that got to me
INSTRUMENTAL: C F C G C F C F C G C G C G C F
I wish I could forget that night
The way the cards all fell
The deck was stacked against me
And I played my part so well
Three days on the party
In a drunken revelry
Shirley Ann said Chuck had plans
To lure my kids from me
Lure my kids from me
We stuck him with a dagger
And we beat him 'round the head
I unleashed all my anger
And I didn't stop when he was dead
They set me up to take the fall
I went down willingly
Now I'm doing life in prison
While the rest of them run free, boys
They're all running free
INSTRUMENTAL: C F C F C F G C
Grandmother, grandmother
Send your prayers to me
Protect me and my children
For I love them endlessly
Creator, creator
I have come alive
Medicine Bear Woman
Doing life at thirty-five, boys
Life at thirty-five
I pray, help me to make my amends
To those that I have harmed
Grant them love and peace so they may
Understand I'm sorry
Help me share my shame and pain
So others they might do the same
And so awaken to themselves
And to all peoples of this world
OUTRO:
Oh, Hai hai, hai hai
Ho ho, ho ho
Ohh ooh
Ohh ooh
Ohh ooh