Eliza Gilkyson - Ballad of Yvonne Johnson lyrics

Eliza Gilkyson/Yvonne Johnson 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's from Saskatchewan, my dad's U.S. marine And I was just a half-breed falling somewhere in between Raised up in a reckless world of d** and alcohol The police k**ed my brother Earl, the only one who cared at all Cleft palate split my face in two, my words came soft and spare I lived in shame and ridicule, foundations of despair Daniel let the kids all watch when I was oly three He threw me on the table, forced himself inside me My brother Leon learned from him what I learned not to tell Cause when my daddy found him then 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 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 I wrapped the cord around him there, they beat him round the head They threw him down the cellar stairs and pulled the cord til he was dead Courts set me up to take the fall, I went down silently I'm doing life in prison now for murder first degree, While they got leniency 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 35, life at 35 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 people of this world Hai hai Hai hai Aho