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Ultimatum Tree

from NATIVE by John Ellis

/

lyrics

pulled across the high river
on a swollen summer day
Great White Queen waiting for them on the other side

she spoke in their favour
sitting cross-legged at her feet
in the shade of the ultimatum tree

sugar-water in the noon-day heat
ox on the fire
courtesy of the Empire

cloaks up around their shoulders
sticks in hand to leave
the queen said “one more thing before you go”

“i have decided to rescue
your people from your king
i heard them cry for help from across the sea”

“and I’m here to tell you
it is time to change your ways
i am here to tell you i am now your queen”

“so dismantle your army
let your soldiers marry young
and only go to war if i say so”

they asked her “when have our people
ever complained?
we do things as they have always been done”

she said “you have until
the moon comes up again
over this ultimatum tree”

two weeks they walked
through the rain back to the king
the demands of the queen in their ears

but the king already knew
from the whispering hills
he knew a great enemy had come

the Great White Queen swam across
his river in the night
long before the new moon came around

and she marched through the summer grass
dressed red and white for war
bearing a club fashioned from the ultimatum tree

all asleep under a mountain
in the January sun
the king beat her back with the horns of a bull

in time she dragged
the king from his forest
and crumbled up his kingdom in her hands

and she led him to a wooden ship
bound for captivity
a ship made from the ultimatum tree

in time the king was allowed
to return home to die
and he sailed back the way he had come

the Great White Queen, home and dry,
warmed her feet at the fire
the flames rising from the ultimatum tree

© John Ellis 2022

credits

from NATIVE, released April 27, 2022
Produced by John Ellis
Executive Producer: Duncan Brown
Recorded, engineered and mixed by Brent Quinton
Assisted by Dale Wardell
Mastered by Rogan Kelsey

Recorded at The Audio Suite, Westville, KwaZulu-Natal Feb-April 2021
Additional recording at the Atterbury Theatre, Pretoria March 2021 by Fuzz Senekal and at the United Rhythms Studio, Durban May 2021 by David Jenkins
Some extra recording happened in Durban North and Pietermaritzburg May 2021

String arrangement and orchestration for “Dogs”: Bryan Schimmel

Artwork: Aimee Lindeque
Art Direction: Antony Ellis

Words and Music: John Ellis
“Down Paradise”: John Ellis, Patric van Blerk, Fransua Roos
Published by Jellisongs/ Admin. by CNC Music
All songs © John Ellis 2021

These musicians played these instruments:
David ‘Qadasi’ Jenkins (umhuphe, concertina, maskandi guitar) Maqhinga Radebe (maskandi guitar) Njabulo Shabalala (percussion) Victor Sithole (umqangala, udloko, umzaneno) Burton Naidoo (piano) David Klassen (drums) Rixi Roman (upright bass) Regardt de Bruin (konsertina) Shanjeet Teeluck (sitar) Vishen Kamraj (tabla) Barry van Zyl (additional percussion) Andy Turrell (snare drum and coffee) Ralitza Macheva (violin) Petya Koleva (violin) Kolio Koleva (cello) Ralitsa Pechoux (cello) John Ellis (guitar, singing, additional percussion)

“Native” was made possible by the AW Mellon Foundation through the “Rethinking South African Literature(s)” project at the University of the Western Cape.

Siyabonga:
All the wonderful musicians. Brent Quinton. Dale Wardell. Fuzz Senekal. Bryan Schimmel. Aimee Lindeque. Antony Ellis. Rogan Kelsey. Jill Flusk.
Siyabonga kakhulu:
David ‘Qadasi’ Jenkins. Susan du Toit. Duncan Brown, without whom this album would not exist.

For Liam, Bethany and Sadie: natives, too.

A Luta Continua.

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John Ellis Durban, South Africa

A singer-songwriter from Durban, South Africa, John has played his music all over the world. His fifth full-length solo album "Native"will be released on April 27 2022.

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