The Curse of Johnny Rose

June 23, 2010. © Talon Truitt Cherry, All rights reserved

He woke up in the morning and his girl was gone
A ransom note on the table with directions drawn
Saying if you want to see her bring money to the cleaners at ten
Bring no cops bring no people bring no telephone
We’ll put a bullet in her brain if something’s wrong
Do exactly what we say if you ever want to see her again

He rolled the note in a ball and tossed it on the ground
His wife slapped him in the face and stomped her right foot down
She said look what you’ve done your life has taken our little girl
You see daddy was crook from a southern town
He took his fortune from some people that were never found
And now they’re coming back to attack and put his life in a whirl

He didn’t care who had done it he just wanted her back
So he packed up all his money in a gunny sack
Kissed his wife on the forehead said baby I’ll be back in a bit
She took a shot gun from the shelf and some shells from the rack
Gave it to her husband and said don’t hold back
I got a bullet with your name on it if you don’t return with our kid

Johnny drove down the freeway at a hundred and five
Sweat was pouring down his face and he started to cry
Praying god I know I’m dying but please allow my daughter to live
He skid in to the rocks outside the cleaners drive
He could see his little girl she was still alive
Threw the money on the pavement and swore that there was no more to give

Only one man was there when they made the exchange
He put his daughter in the car the man was still in range
So Johnny pulled the trigger and painted up the cleaners with blood
Daughter asked her father will you never change
Did you have to take his life dad are you insane
You got what you came for having me should make you feel good

The drive home was silent and filled with gloom
Glad to see his daughter but still felt his doom
Creeping up like a spider the closer that they got to his house
The front door was open like a rose in June
His wife was hanging dead in the living room
Twelve men threw him down to the ground and shoved a gun in his mouth

Johnny’s daughter grabbed the shotgun and she killed two guys
Then ended up on the wrong end of a forty five
One bullet through her brain spelled Shelly’s gone for good on the wall
His wife and kid are gone but they left him alive
Bleeding out on the floor by his daughter and wife
With a bullet in the chamber of the gun that had ended it all

So Johnny picked the gun up and he started to pray
Lord my life has taken all the good things away
Could you send my girl to heaven with my wife and let me burn for their sins
What happened next is only what they say
The police busted in and they took Johnny away
He served life in a prison and all that he could think of was them

He went down for the murder of his kid and wife
Beaten down everyday in prison life
Forty five years and every day began like it would end
He tried to kill himself everyday he tried
No matter what he did he was still alive
He’s still rotting in a cell today at a hundred and ten.