Iris Dement - The night i learned how not to pray

I was ^Glaying on my belly in the ^Cmiddle of the living room ^Gfloor I was ^Emwatching Howdy Doody so I'm ^Aguessing it was right around ^Amfour ^D When I ^Gsaw my baby brother ^Ctumbling from the top of the ^Cstairs ^Em He was ^Glying limp and silent and the ^Dblood was trickling through his shiny ^Ghair

When my mom ^Gsaw my little brother she said you ^Cbetter run and get your ^Gdad And her ^Emvoice was high and she was ^Ashaking so I knew this was ^Ambad ^D Well we ^Gstood out by the mailbox watching ^Cher and dad and brother drive a^Cway ^Em And I ^Gdidn't waste no time I got down ^Don my knees right there and ^GI began to pray

Well I ^Gprayed into the evening, never ^Ceven took the time to have a ^Gbite I was ^Emsure if I prayed hard e^Anough that God would make it ^Amright ^D We were ^Gat the kitchen table long past ^Cbedtime when we finally ^Ggot that call ^Em And I ^Gknew that it was over when my ^Dsister slammed that phone against the ^Gwall ^C

^GThat night ^CI learned how ^Gnot to pray ^EmGod does what ^Ahe wants to ^Amany way ^{D G} And I never did tell my ^Cmother, I ^Gkept it from my sisters and all my ^Cbrothers ^G That was the night ^DI learned how not to ^Gpray ^C

It was ^G41 years later when ^CI took my brothers ^Gpicture out of that box ^EmHung it on the wall, sat a^Across from him and I began to ^Amtalk ^{D G}When the evening started I ^Cdidn't know what I was going to ^Gsay ^Em But be^Gfore the night was over I told them ^Dall about how I learned not to ^Gpray ^C

^GThat night ^CI learned how ^Gnot to pray ^EmGod does what ^AGod wants to,^Am don't he any way ^{D G} And I never did tell my ^Cmother, I ^Gkept it from my sisters and all my ^Cbrothers ^G That was the night ^DI learned how not to ^Gpray ^{C G} That was the night I ^Dlearned how not to ^Gpray, ^CWhoa oh ^G That was the night I ^Dlearned how not to ^Gpray