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