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Queen Nanny’s Lullabye
Joel Thompson 2024 for soprano and piano
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Queen Nanny’s Lullabye
for soprano and piano
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Joel Thompson
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Program Note
Nanny of the Maroons, or Queen Nanny, is an important national hero for the Jamaican people, as she led the courageous resistance against British colonists in the First Maroon War (1728-1740). The Maroons, the self-liberated African people that the British were attempting to return to slavery as the colonists tried to occupy the entire island, were victorious due to Queen Nanny’s brilliant military leadership and cunning. Myths and legends have arisen to fll the vacuum of the sparse historical records of Queen Nanny’s life and legacy. Some say she practiced obeah, a hybrid religious practice among the enslaved, and that she cast spells that caused white soldiers to drop dead when they walked into her territory. Most likely, these stories arose from the efectiveness of her guerrilla war tactics that prioritized stealth and deadly efciency. In the context of this song, Queen Nanny’s methods of resistance against colonial violence are not as important as her absolute confdence in her power to protect her people. In this murder ballad disguised as a lullabye, we hear the disembodied voice of Queen Nanny beckoning the British invader, wandering through the deep Blue Mountain brush, to sleep. (The enigmatic refrain nods towards the story of Delilah, one of the oldest archetypes of feminine power.) As the song unfolds and the symptoms of her poison/spell set in, Queen Nanny drops clues that she seeks a more eternal rest for those who seek to re-enslave her and her people. Although her gentle maternal guise evaporates for a moment of righteous indignation, the piece ends as gently as it began – and slowly slips into the sleep of death.
– Joel Thompson 2024
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Jamaican Patois
Come here, likkle one
Come an ress your head
"It won't be long now," So di baaba said.
You look a likkle lost, baby But you will fnd your way. No worry if yu yeye dem a droop so, Jus lissin what you Nanny seh:
Come here likkle one
Come an ress your head "It won't be long now," So di baaba said.
So, tarry a while pon di big rock stone if you legdem a cramp an strain. Mi know yu chess a go toogatoomtoom but you Nanny soon tek weh di pain.
Come here likkle one
Come an ress your head "It won't be long now," So di baaba said.
Here you are Time to sleep now, Close those wide and fearful eyes. As yu troat close up and yu lips grow numb, I'll wipe away the blood and you'll realize:
The end is drawing nigh, enslaver. You stole my sister from my arms, colonizer, And stole the land from my people, abuser, And beat my brother black and red, fertilizer, And you will reap what you've sown, likkle one.
Standard American English
Come here, little one. Come and rest your head. “It won’t be long now,” So the barber said.
You look a little lost, baby, But you will fnd your way. Don’t worry if your eyes are drooping. Just listen to what your Nanny says:
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Good night, likkle one. It won’t be long now…
Duration: c. 5 minutes
Copyright © 2024 Joel Thompson (BMI). All Rights Reserved. Program Note Copyright © 2024 Joel Thompson. All Rights Reserved Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com First printing, May 2024
So, rest a while on that boulder if your legs are cramped and strained. I know your heart is palpitating but your Nanny will soon take away the pain.
As your throat closes up, And your lips grow numb,
head. “It won
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Simmering with rage = 60
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