Jim Johnson Lyrics - Porter Wagoner

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