Prairie Girl Gone

For my grandmother she was a child of the prairies a daughter of the depression, Her parents fed the hobos right in the kitchen Her daddy was a hard man with with few words to spare, But he was gentle with the clydesdales and always tried to be fair He'd been a fourteen year old orphan from scotland with his little brother in tow They came to find themselves a better life in the land of wind and snow A long walk from nowhere they built a farm out of hope, Great grand uncle never saw it prosper he died young at the somme Long ago and far away, long ago just yesterday Her mother was a fey one, she knew the ways of beasts and trees When she was joyous the whole world beamed, When she was sad it grieved Great grandpa first saw her when she was just a young girl He said "I will wait for you to grow up if you'll be my wife in the new world" She'd been the pride of her brothers, caught on canvas by a famous painter She never left her small town in Scotland til she crossed the ocean to live amoung stangers Long ago and far away, long ago I'm going yesterday My grandma was a smart girl, she rode her pony star to school Studied her way off of that farm went to teachers college down in Saskatoon She and grandpa married young had four kids one after the other, But he was an artist trapped inside a teacher, she was a teacher trapped inside of a mother The family moved to Montreal and they slowly fell appart Grandma had another baby got her phd, Grandpa met another woman who understood his art Long ago and far away, long ago just yesterday Now grandma lives in an old folks home it's such a shame 'Cause she's still so young, Sometimes she's scared when friends and family come, Doesn't know who we are or why we won't leave her alone The life she knew's a shadow grown faint and long, sometimes it wavers sometimes it's strong, But I sing the songs she taught to me I see her the way that she used to be, I can still remember all her stories, I'm her living breathing memory, I'm her living breathing memory Long ago and far away, long ago I'm going yesterday, Long ago and far away, long ago just yesterday, It's all so long ago, i'll see you yesterday