The past ten years just flashed before my eyes I remember the day my daddy died

He left mom four boys and three-year old Ginny Lou

She got sick and we almost lost her too

Times were rough even when dad was here but things got worse year after year

Six years ago mom married again and that's when our troubles really began

Jim Johnson was the name of our step-pa he was the meanest man I'd ever saw

He mistreated mom and all of us kids and I swore some day he'd pay each time he did

Never had enough clothes for school but we'd go we'd go home early because of snow

And almost freeze to death fore we got there

Jim bought booze instead of shoes for us to wear

One summer we found six kittens with our old cat

Jim made us put 'em all in a gunny sack

And throw 'em in the river with rocks inside

Jim just stood there and laughed while we all cried

Jim started watchin' Ginny Lou when she just turned thirteen

Then late one night I heard Ginny scream

I run and got the shotgun and grabbed a shell

And I pulled the trigger and Jim Johnson fell

I knew that someday it would come to this

I knew that he'd try to put his hands on sis

When people hear my story they'll understand

They'll know that what I killed was not a man

They'll know Jim Johnson was not a man