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