The Revolutionary Tea

The Revolutionary Tea is an authentic 1770s colonial song describing the first Tea Party in Boston.

Lyrics (with original spelling):

There was an old lady lived over the sea, and she was an Island Queen;
Her daughter lived off in a new countrie, with an ocean of water between.
The old lady's pockets were full of gold, but never contented was she;
So she called on her daughter to pay her a tax of three pence 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 a three-penny tax."
"You shall," quoth the mother, all reddish with rage, "For you're mine own daughter, you see."
And sure, 'tis quite proper the daughter should pay her mother a tax on her tea.

And so the old lady her servants called up, and packed off a budget of tea;
And, eager for three pence a pound, she put in enough for a large familie.
She order'd 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!

The tea was conveyed to the daughter's door, all down by the ocean side;
And the bouncing girl poured out ev'ry pound in the dark and boiling tide.
And then she called out to the Island Queen, "O 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!"

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tea
• Party
• Boston
• Massachusetts
• choir
• concert