BANYAN TREE
Jamaican: Trad

1, Moonshine tonight come mek we dance an’ sing,
Moonshine tonight come mek we dance an’ sing,
Me deh rock so, yu deh rock so, under banyan tree,
Me deh rock so, yu deh rock so, under banyan tree,
2, Ladies mek curtsy, gentlemen mek bow,
Ladies mek curtsy, gentlemen mek bow,
Me deh rock so, yu deh rock so, under banyan tree,
Me deh rock so, yu deh rock so, under banyan tree,
3, Den we join hands an’ dance around an’ roun,
Den we join hands an’ dance around an’ roun,
Me deh rock so, yu deh rock so, under banyan tree,
Me deh rock so, yu deh rock so, under banyan tree,

According to the notes accompanying this song:
On nights of the full moon country people like to gather and sing, dance, tell stories, play games, and exchange riddles. Often their meeting place is under some large tree in the neighbourhood such as a banyan tree. This song is simply an invitation to join in the fun and should be accompanied by graceful dance steps, with the ladies curtsying and the gentlemen bowing to each other.

From:
"Beeny Bud"
12 Jamaican Folk-Songs for children
Collected & arranged for schools by OLIVE LEWIN
Oxford University Press 1975
ISBN 0 19 330543 7

X: 1
T: Banyan Tree
M: 3/4
L: 1/4
N: Gracefully
O: Jamaica
Z: NP 03/09/2023
K: C
cec| G2E| F/F/ F F| F3| BBA| G2F| E/E/ EF| G3| E/E/ EG| F/F/ FA| G/G/ Bd| c3| E/E/ EG| F/F/ FA| G/G/FD| C3||

X: 2
T: Banyan Tree
M: 3/4
L: 1/4
N: Second part (optional)
O: Jamaica
Z: NP 03/09/2023
K: C
c2 G| E2 C| B,/B,/ B,D| F/G/ FD| zFD| B,DB,| C3/ C/ D| E3/ F/ E/D/| C/C/ C E| D/D/ DC| B,/D/ GF| E3/ F/ E/D/| C/C/ CE| D/D/ DC| B,/D/ G/A/ B|C3||
w: La la la la etc.


NP