There are numerous artists named Sam Lee, including:
1) an English folk … Read Full Bio ↴There are numerous artists named Sam Lee, including:
1) an English folk musician
2) a Korean artist
3) a Taiwanese artist

1) Sam Lee is a folk-singer, song-collector, promoter, radio host, TV personality, teacher and owner of a restless mind luckily powered with generous supplies of optimistic energy.
He's a natural singer but the practice was new to him until his first encounter with folk-song some six years ago, an epiphany that compelled him to abandon his work as a visual artist, teacher of wilderness survival and part-time burlesque dancer and go in search of the last custodians of the living traditions, the Gypsy Traveller community.
He spent a four-year apprenticeship under the legendary, late Scottish Traveller Stanley Robertson - last of the great ballad singers - becoming the musical 'next of kin' to Stanley's vast repertoire of songs which, with his band, he interprets using unconventional instrumentation and arrangements, challenging preconceptions of what 'traditional folk' should sound like.
http://samleesong.co.uk/

2) Sam Lee is a Korean artist

3) Sam Lee is a Taiwanese artist

The Tan Yard Side
Sam Lee Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I thought he was an angel bright
Come tripping down so low
Saying, "Kind sir, I'm a country boy,"
And modest to me he plied
And I daily laboured for my bread
Down by the tan yard side

So red and rosy was his cheeks
And amber was his hair
And his two pretty eyes like diamonds shine
As my hands coursed through his hair

It is twelve long months since first we met
So early in the spring
When the small birds they do whistle and
The nightingales do sing (2x)

And if ever I return again
I'll take that boy inside
And I'll roll him in my very own arms
Down by the tan yard side

I will roll him in my very own arms
Down by the tan yard side

Overall Meaning

The song "The Tan Yard Side" by Sam Lee speaks of a romantic encounter between the singer and a young country boy who comes to the city looking for work. The singer initially perceives the boy as an angel with his rosy cheeks, amber hair, and diamond-like eyes. The singer and the boy then proceed to develop a relationship, with the singer tending to the young man's hair and other needs while he worked at the tan yard.

The lyrics paint a clear image of a passionate and intimate relationship between the two characters. The words "roll him in my very own arms" evoke an intimate embrace, and the repeated line "down by the tan yard side" implies a location that holds great significance for the singer and the young man. The tone of the song is one of yearning and longing for the person to whom the singer has become attached.

Overall, the song offers a window into a specific moment of queer sexual desire in a historical context where such relationships were taboo and dangerous. It is interesting to note that the identities of the characters are never explicitly stated, allowing both queer and straight listeners to find their own meanings and interpretations in the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

I thought he was an angel bright
I was struck by his beauty and thought he was a godsend

Come tripping down so low
He came towards me with a modest demeanor

Saying, "Kind sir, I'm a country boy,"
He introduced himself humbly as a boy from the countryside

And modest to me he plied
He continued to show humility and respect towards me

And I daily laboured for my bread
I worked hard to earn a living every day

Down by the tan yard side
Next to the area where animal hides were prepared for processing

So red and rosy was his cheeks
He had healthy, flushed cheeks

And amber was his hair
His hair was a golden-brown color

And his two pretty eyes like diamonds shine
His sparkling eyes were as beautiful as diamonds

As my hands coursed through his hair
I ran my hands through his hair and felt its softness

It is twelve long months since first we met
It has been a year since we first encountered each other