Precious Palm Tree
If the mosquito is Africa's worst scourge, the palm tree, at least according to Parker, is the continent's greatest blessing. This ode to that "stately, loving, charming, gracious, and marvelous" plant comprises two sections, the first spoken and the second sung. The second, seemingly superflous, identification of the work (3:56) demarcates this second section.
A bit of history about precious palm tree, by Congress-Woman Malinda Jackson Parker, dedicated to Kenneth Best, of Liberia. My friends, lend me your ears: I have a story to tell you about the greatest tree in Africa, yea, in all the world. This tree produces everything for human needs. Is stately, lovely, charming, gracious, and marvelous. This tree is precious palm tree.
Her gifts to mankind are too numerous to mention. I shall now name a few of these items for your listening pleasure: roofing for houses, food, butter, palm wine, palm oil, nut oil, palm cabbage, [?] and soap, soda, gunpowder, sulfur, medicine, timber, plank, [?], broom, palm kernel, net for fishing, materials for art and craft, and decorations. The palm tree's economic significance is reflected on the Liberian coat of arm.
Home of glorious liberty,
by God's amen.
But the most important gift of precious palm tree is that used on Palm Sunday, commemorating the death of our savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross to redeem mankind from sin.
Men make poems, fly to the moon, dance and croon.
But my friends, I declare unto you: Only God can make a tree, set us free, and keep us in our glee. God made gentle, precious palm tree for us.
Song: "Precious Palm Tree," composed and sung by Congress-Woman Jackson Parker, dedicated to our school.
Africa can never repay precious palm tree
for her gifts, so numerous and free.
Precious palm tree, precious palm tree,
precious palm tree, set us free.
Precious palm tree, precious palm tree,
precious palm tree, on thee we call.
Your sweet palm wine make us fine,
your sweet wine will make us strong and fine.
In all kinds of weather,
you give us shelter,
you give us shelter.
Precious palm tree, gentle palm tree,
precious palm tree, thee we call.
Precious palm tree, gives us oil,
precious palm tree, set us free.
Precious palm tree, give us wine,
precious palm tree, thee we call.
Precious palm tree, come as a dove,
Precious palm tree, you're sent from heaven above.
You set us free, and now we know glee.
Precious palm tree, [?] oil,
precious palm tree, on thee we call.
We'll never, never leave thee,
you set us free.
Precious palm tree, we know [?].
Precious palm tree!
On thee we all will call.
Precious palm tree, precious palm tree,
Precious palm tree, now we in our glee.
We are in our glee!
We are in our glee because you set us free
and now we are happy and in our glee.
Precious, gentle, generous palm tree:
We thank thee!
Palm tree!
In honor of our riverside Louisiana school, St. Paul River.
Palm tree!