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 fill 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 effectiveness of her guerrilla war tactics that prioritized stealth and deadly efficiency. In the context of this song, Queen Nanny’s methods of resistance against colonial violence are not as important as her absolute confidence in her power to protect her people. In this murder ballad disguised as a lullaby, 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