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Revolutionary Tea

from From Boston Harbor by Crosscurrents Music

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about

As you cross Fort Point Channel on Congress Street, you can stop for a dish of tea at the Tea Party Ships, or even throw some tea into the harbor from the brig Beaver or the tea ship Eleanor. The women of Boston protested the Tea Tax by boycotting English black tea and drinking locally grown herbal teas.

lyrics

There was an old lady lived over the sea
And she was an island queen.
Her daughter lived off in a new country
With an ocean of water between.
With an ocean of water between.

The old lady's pockets were filled with gold,
But never contented was she.
She called on her daughter to pay her a tax
Of thruppence a pound on her tea,
Of thruppence a pound on her tea.

"Now mother dear mother," the daughter replied,
"I shan't do the thing that you ax.
"I'm willing to pay a fair price for the tea,
"But never the thruppenny tax."
But never the thruppenny tax!

"You shall!" quoth the mother, and reddened with rage,
"For you're my own daughter, you see,
"And sure 'tis quite proper the daughter should pay
"Her mother a tax on her tea.
 Her mother a tax on her tea.

And so the old lady her servant called in,
And packed off a budget of tea.
And eager for three pence a pound, she put in
Enough for a large familie.
Enough for a large familie.

She ordered her servants to bring home the tax,
Declaring her child should obey,
Or old as she was, and almost woman grown,
She'd half whip her life away.
She'd half whip her life away.

The tea was conveyed to the daughter's own door,
All down by the ocean's side.
And the bouncing girl poured out every pound
In the dark and boiling tide.  
In the dark and boiling tide.

And then she called out to the Island queen,
"Oh, mother, dear mother," quoth she,
"Your tea you may have when 'tis steeped enough,
But never a tax from me!      
But never a tax from me!

credits

from From Boston Harbor, released June 9, 2022
trad. Boston broadside

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Crosscurrents Music Boston, Massachusetts

Lynn Noel brings traditional song and heritage arts online to create community. Lynn has a voice of striking clarity and power, equally at home in rhythmic chanteys and flowing ballads.

Lynn is a respected song session leader on both sides of the Atlantic and the producer and host of the Mermaid's Tavern online folk club. She is currently Program Chair of the New England Folk Festival (NEFFA). ... more

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