Happy May Day/ Beltane. As humanity continues to move in a very funny direction, here is a message of hope and positivity, a retelling of the traditional folk tale Tam Lyn, by the poet Benjamin Zephaniah who cleverly rewrote the tale for a project called the Imagined Village, with a superb backing of electro-reggae from Transglobal Underground, plus a a haunting accompanying melody from Eliza Carthy. All in all,a pretty good way to start the month. Solidarity and love.
Tam Lyn (retold)
Don't be scared
It was the first of May
A righteous holiday
This was when the workers they
Celebrate fertility
It was the first of May
She stepped into the club
Lookin' for the holy herb
And a magical dub
A virgin full of rhythm
Her passion shining bright
Her future in her hand
And she was holding it tight
So she found that holy herb
It was sweet Carribean
She burned that holy herb
In an organic chillum
And she moves to the bass
She retold to creation
They was time and space
For this heavenly maiden
It was the first of May
A righteous holiday
It was when the workers day
Celebrate fertility
It was the first of May
A righteous holiday
It was when the workers day
Celebrate fertility
He was a mover and a shaker
Who was prone to temptation
He stepped up in the angel
And made his objection
Saying "Woman was not made
to partake this herb"
He cursed and she was humble
And she called him absurd
Then she took him to a place
That was not very far
They connected at the waist
In the back of her car
Her innocence was gone
In just under an hour
He was forced to hang on
While she flashed her girl power
It was the first of May
A righteous holiday
It was when the workers day
Celebrate fertility
It was the first of May
A righteous holiday
It was when the workers day
Celebrate fertility
Love is impatient
It ignores tradition and convention
It is not bound by human constructs
Jurisprudence and the laws of men
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
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
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
Our man had moved on
Said he was wild
Then our lady found
She was heavy with child
When she told her father
He said go seek him out
She found him six months later
Down town hangin' about
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
'Cos the land immigration
Want to get rid of me
There's no peace in my nation
I'm a war refugee
There's no peace in my nation
I'm a war refugee
There are people in uniform
Out to get me
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?
I can groove on the dance floor
But my baby's quite clear
I don't know all the answers
But I'm trying to relate
Since I've been in exiled
I just don't know my fate
And a best-selling tabloid
Always reeling with hate
There's no peace in my nation
I'm a war refugee
I'm surrounded by war
But there's war inside me
"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
S"So I need you to hold me tight
For tomorrow in court
And I need you fill yourself
with positive forces
'Cos I wanna be wich' yu
And I wanna live
So I need you to give me
All the love you can give"
So the next day in court
She held him really tightly
Just fifteen minutes before
He went in the dock
So the next day in court
She held him really tightly
Just fifteen minutes before
He went in the dock
And her positive thoughts
Made her touch the almighty
And our brother shivered
From his toes to his locks
He turned into a victim
He turned into a loser
He turned into a pimp
And a real mister mean
But she kept holding on
And when those demon were gone
He turned into himself
Just a cool human being.
And the judge said you can go now
The judge set our man free
He was free to be
Indefinitely
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"
So he became a citizen
Our angel became a wife
And they had what modern folks would call
A pretty happy life
They met on the dance floor
On the first of May
And the baby that they had
Grew up to be a club DJ
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
(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)
(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.
