Ballad Of Yvonne Johnson chords by Eliza Gilkyson

Chords with lyrics

Eliza Gilkyson - Ballad Of Yvonne Johnson


CAPO: 2nd Fret


INTRO: FF C majorC FF C majorC


My name is Yvonne Johnson
  FF        C majorC
My native blood is Cree
  G+G        C majorC
I'm here to tell the story
    FF        C majorC  FF C majorC FF C majorC
Of the life stolen from me

My grandfather's grandfather was
  FF          C majorC
The great war chief Big Bear
  G+G       C majorC
And Flora my grandmother worked
   FF      C majorC
With medicine and prayer


My mother is Saskatchewan
  FF     C majorC
My daddy ex-Marine
  G+G      C majorC
And I was just a half-breed
    FF       C majorC
Falling somewhere in between
FF       C majorC
Somewhere in between


G+G       C majorC
Raised up in a reckless world
  G+G       C majorC
Of drugs and alcohol
  G+G        C majorC
The police killed my brother, Earl
  FF      G+G
The only one who cared at all

   C majorC
Cleft palate split my face in two
  FF       C majorC
No surgery can repair
 G+G         C majorC
I lived in shame and ridicule
  FF       C majorC
Foundations of despair
  FF       C majorC  FF C majorC FF C majorC
Foundations of despair


First memory of my brother, Leon
FF     C majorC
I was only three
  G+G        C majorC
He threw me on the table
     FF       C majorC
Forced himself inside of me


All the kids stood 'round
    FF      C majorC
As I descended into hell
    G+G       C majorC
When I told my daddy 'bout it
     FF       C majorC     FF
Well, he had his way as well, boys
          C majorC
He took me down as well


 G+G       C majorC
I didn't have a language
    G+G        C majorC
For the pain I suffered through
 G+G      C majorC
Escaping into marriage
     FF         G+G
But your past just catches up with you


 C majorC
Until I had three children
   FF     C majorC
And a ragged family
 G+G         C majorC
A augmentedA desperate urge to keep them
     FF         C majorC    FF
From the wolves that got to me, boys
          C majorC
Wolves that got to me


INSTRUMENTAL: C majorC  FF C majorC G+G C majorC FF C majorC FF C majorC  G+G C majorC G+G C majorC G+G C majorC FF
       C majorC  FF C majorC FF C majorC


I wish I could forget that night
  FF         C majorC
The way the cards all fell
  G+G         C majorC
The deck was stacked against me
   FF         C majorC
And I played my part so well


Three days on the party
   FF      C majorC
In a drunken revelry
G+G        C majorC
Shirley Ann said Chuck had plans
  FF         C majorC
To lure my kids from me
FF         C majorC
Lure my kids from me


  G+G        C majorC
We stuck him with a dagger
    G+G          C majorC
And we beat him 'round the head
 G+G        C majorC
I unleashed all my anger
   FF        G+G
And I didn't stop when he was dead


   C majorC
They set me up to take the fall
 FF        C majorC
I went down willingly
    G+G       C majorC
Now I'm doing life in prison
     FF        C majorC     FF
While the rest of them run free, boys
          C majorC
They're all running free


INSTRUMENTAL: C majorC  FF C majorC FF C majorC FF G+G C majorC


Grandmother, grandmother
FF          C majorC
Send your prayers to me
  G+G       C majorC
Protect me and my children
   FF        C majorC
For I love them endlessly


Creator, creator
FF      C majorC
I have come alive
G+G       C majorC
Medicine Bear Woman
   FF       C majorC     FF
Doing life at thirty-five, boys
        C majorC
Life at thirty-five


    FF
I pray, help me to make my amends
  C majorC
To those that I have harmed
FF
Grant them love and peace so they may
C majorC
Understand I'm sorry


FF
Help me share my shame and pain
  C majorC
So others they might do the same
  FF
And so awaken to themselves
  C majorC
And to all peoples of this world


OUTRO:
  FF
Oh, Hai hai, hai hai
C majorC
Ho ho, ho ho
FF
Ohh ooh
C majorC
Ohh ooh
FF
Ohh ooh
C majorC FF C majorC FF C majorC FF C majorC FF C majorC FF C majorC FF C majorC FF C majorC