Tam Lin Balladry

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Tam Lin: Benjamin Zephaniah

Source: Benjamin Zephaniah

Album: The Imagined Village

Title: Tam Lyn Retold

Site reference number: 41

Summary

A young woman goes to a club to seek music and holy herb. She meets a young man who objects to her usage. She takes him to her car and they have sex. Soon after, she discovers she is pregnant. It takes her months to locate the man again. When she tells him she is pregnant, he informs her that he is in the country as a refugee and faces deportation. He asks her to come to the court the next day to give him her positive energy. She does, and her energy is enough that though he transforms through several negative stereotypes, the judge grants him residency. The couple leaves to start a family. Their child grows up to be a DJ.

Tam Lyn (Retold)

  1. Don't be scared
    It was the first of May
    A righteous holiday
    This was when the workers they
    Celebrate fertility
  2. It was the first of May
    A righteous holiday
    This was when the workers they
    Celebrate fertility
  3. It was the first of May
    She stepped into the club
    Lookin' for the holy herb
    And a magical dub
  4. A virgin full of rhythm
    Her passion shining bright
    Her future in her hand
    And she was holding it tight
  5. Soon she found that holy herb
    It was sweet Caribbean
    She burned that holy herb
    In an organic chillum
  6. And she moves to the bass
    She reach out to creation
    They was time and space
    For this heavenly maiden
  7. It was the first of May
    A righteous holiday
    This was when the workers they
    Celebrate fertility
  8. It was the first of May
    A righteous holiday
    This was when the workers they
    Celebrate fertility
  9. He was a mover and a shaker
    Who was prone to temptation
    He stepped up to the angel
    And made his objection
  10. Saying "Woman was not made
    to partake in this herb"
    He cursed and she was humble
    And she called him absurd
  11. Then she took him to a place
    That was not very far
    They connected at the waist
    In the back of her car
  12. Her innocence was gone
    In just under an hour
    He was forced to hang on
    As she flashed her girl power
  13. It was the first of May
    A righteous holiday
    This was when the workers they
    Celebrate fertility
  14. It was the first of May
    A righteous holiday
    This was when the workers they
    Celebrate fertility
  15. Love is impatient
    It ignores traditions and conventions
    It is not bound by human constructs
    Jurisprudence and the laws of men
  16. Love reaches out and holds open-hearted
    It demands attention
    It is in a world of its own
    Yet it connects worlds that will forever
    Be set apart
  17. Well I have a sweet hope of glory in my soul
    Have a sweet hope of glory in my soul
    Well I have a sweet hope of glory in my soul
    Have a sweet hope of glory in my soul
    Oh I know I have and I feel I have
    A sweet hope of glory in my soul
  18. Make love not war
    This is how we do it
    Make love not war
    This is how we go
    Make love not war
    This is how we do it
    Make love not war
    This is how we flow
    Make love not war
    This is how we do it
    Make love not war
    This is how we go
    Make love not war
    This is how we do it
    Make love not war
    This is how we flow
  19. Our man had moved on
    Said he was wild
    Then our lady found
    She was heavy with child
  20. When she told her father
    He said "go seek him out"
    She found him six months later
    Down town hangin' about
  21. He said "who's the daddy?"
    She said "you are the one"
    He said "I am an alien
    And quite soon I'll be gone
  22. "Customs and immigration
    Want to get rid of me
    There's no peace in my nation
    I'm a war refugee
  23. "There''s no peace in my nation
    I'm a war refugee
    There are people in uniforms
    Out to get me
  24. "There's no peace in my nation
    There's nowhere I can hide
    If you really do love me
    Will you stay by my side?
  25. "I may groove on the dance floor
    But my pain is quite great
    I don't know all the answers
    But I'm trying to relate
  26. "Since I've been here in exile
    I just don't know my fate
    And a best-selling tabloids
    Always greet me with hate
  27. "There's no peace in my nation
    I'm a war refugee
    I'm surrounded by war
    But there's love inside me
  28. "There's no peace in my nation
    and I'm feeling downhearted
    When the Beastie Boys get me
    I'm told I'll be deported
  29. "So I need you to hold me tight
    For tomorrow in court
    And I need you fill yourself
    with positive forces
  30. 'Cos I wanna be wich' yu
    And I wanna live
    So I need you to give me
    All the love you can give"
  31. So the next day in court
    She held him really tightly
    Just fifteen minutes before
    hHe went in the dock
  32. And her positive thoughts
    Made her touch the almighty
    And our brother shivered
    From his toes to his locks
  33. He turned into a victim
    He turned into a loser
    He turned into a pimp
    And a real mister mean
  34. But she kept holding on
    And when those demon were gone
    He turned into himself
    Just a cool human being.
  35. And the judge said you can go now
    The judge set our man free
    He was free to be
    Indefinitely
  36. And the judge said you can go now
    And our joyous refugee
    Just said "Thank you, judge,
    and now I plan to raise a family"
  37. So he became a citizen
    Our angel became a wife
    And they had what modern folks would call
    A pretty happy life
  38. They met on the dance floor
    On the first of May
    And the baby that they had
    Grew up to be a club DJ
  39. It was the first of May
    A righteous holiday
    (Well I have a sweet hope of glory in my soul)
    It was the first of May
    A righteous holiday
    This was when the workers they
    Celebrate fertility
  40. (Well I have a sweet hope of glory in my soul)
    It was the first of May
    A righteous holiday
    This was when the workers they
    Celebrate fertility
    (For I know I have and I feel I have
    a sweet hope of glory in my soul
    Well I have a sweet hope of glory in my soul
    Well I have a sweet hope of glory in my soul
    For I know I have and I feel I have
    a sweet hope of glory in my soul)
  41. (Well I have a sweet hope of glory in my soul)
    Make love not war
    This is how we do it
    (Well I have a sweet hope of glory in my soul)
    Make love not war
    this is how we go
    (Well I know I have and I feel I have
    A sweet hope of glory in my soul)
    Make love not war
    This is how we do it
    Make love, not war,
    This is how we go
    Make love, not war
    This is how we do it
    Make love not war,
    this is how we flow.

Video

Version Notes

Note from the artist: "A re-telling of the traditional folk tale Tam Lyn. Part of a project with Peter Gabriel called The Imagined Village."

This is a wonderful re-interpretation, and the degree to which it has supernatural aspects is left up to the reader. I particularly like the faerie court being replaced by a court of law.

Background vocals features lyrics from the traditional song "The Good Old Way"

Added to site: August 2014