TOBY'S WALK
Written by Mario Price & Lesley Neesham
Based on a true story:
268 years ago in Blythburgh, Suffolk, soldiers were brought into the local area to combat smuggling. Amongst them was Tobias Gill, a black drummer with the regiment who formed a special relationship with a local girl, Anne Blakemore. Toby who liked a beer, woke to find himself lying next the dead body of Anne and subsequently was wrongly accused of her murder. Toby was hanged in September 1750 at the spot where her body was found at Tobys walks. Anne had in fact died of natural causes and Toby was clearly innocent. This is a story of love, injustice, and a local Suffolk legend where many report sightings of Toby's ghost at the walks site, clearly of him looking for his lost love. The song is simplistic, truly amazing, and we hope you find the video as emotional as it was for us being a part of its creation.
Toby's Walk
Toby walked through the marshes where the grass was green
Holding hands with the fairest maiden Blythburgh had ever seen
She would sing from underneath the old oak tree
Toby tapping out the rhythm to the melody, melody
All they wanted was to live their lives
Together for eternity
He’s black, she’s white
The crowd, with spite, would disagree
Late one night Toby wandered to their sanctuary
The wind was blowing from the East across the old North Sea
There she lay, as if sleeping in her long white gown
Her hair feathered all around her like a golden crown
All he wanted was to see her smile
Her soul adrift had passed away
Her life now lost, dark and bitter day
Solo
Toby cried, all night until the moon was gone
Couldn’t leave her on her own and had to linger on
And then they came to point the finger at the only one
it was clear to them a murderer was on the run, on the run
All they wanted was to see him hang
For the murder of poor Anne
You’ll hang they cried
The mob united stand
And from that Tree, Toby Gill was hanged that day
Twas’ later on the coroner decided she’d died naturally
No one cared and it didn’t matter anyway
He was dead and he didn’t need an apology
All they wanted was to live their lives
Together for eternity
He’s black, she’s white
The mob, with spite, would disagree
You’ll hang they cried
The mob united stand
He’s Black she’s white
The mob don’t understand