This song is set in the upper valley of the River Draa (Wedi Draa) in Morocco.
The Hair That’s Not There (The Berber Barber) (February 17, 2022)
Like my father before me, I learned to comb and cut
“Touch not a hair upon his head” was tricky for me, but
It made a fine skilled living, and it helped make our nut
Our delighted customers from our chairs did strut.
A Berber barber by my trade, and Maghreb by my blood
Moroccan citizen by state, Wedi Draa in times of flood
Left our poor shop in sorry shape, the floors all caked in mud
More than once we knocked it down, rebuilt it plank and stud.
Chorus: I measure my worth by the hair that’s not there
I might say this with mirth, but you must be aware
That my work, by my birth, is a pleasure to share
In my time on this earth, as I snip away hair
By now I had married, and did most of the work
To keep track of our business, my wife now was our clerk
Our clients were Berber, Arab, Sikh and Turk
Despite some greener pastures my calling I’d not shirk.
One day in a deluge the shop was fully swept away
We were no longer able to keep the flood waters at bay
My father, near crippled, could now only say
“We’ll just have to try again, to Allah let’s pray.” (To the bridge)
Our prayers were then answered one day in the square, as our Iman took us under wing
He leased us a room in the mosque, then he praised our care, and it was cause to dance and then to sing
These days between gathered prayers our new shop it survives
I cut the hair of the daily faithful, and that of their wives
Truly Allah, He is great and blesses all our lives;
My son is now a barber too, our family tradition thrives.
Like my father before me, I learned to comb and cut
“Touch not a hair upon his head” was tricky for me, but
It made a fine skilled living, and it helps make our nut
Our satisfied customers from our chairs still strut. (Chorus; fini)
@didge345 Mar 2022
Nice work Jim. An exotic locales and interesting tale about passing the family torch from one generation on to the next. :-)
@philmcmill Feb 2022
I agree about great storytelling. Very strong lyrics, excellent demo!
@kenmattsson Feb 2022
Some really cool storytelling here, and a topic not covered much here. There's so many great visuals here. Like the metaphor of the haircut. Nice job.