Of course not. Such idle speculation of a mysterious internal device within the tamborine itself is ludicrous. This self-described poor man could not afford the components and sophisticated equipment necessary to fashion such a hypnotic device, which leads us to the only conclusion possible: the tamborine is the vessel of a malevolent spiritual entity.
This conclusion is terrifying in its implications, for it suggests that Tamborine Man is not, as we guessed, a gifted street bum, but the victim of supernatural forces beyond his understanding and control. Perhaps he raided a gypsy camp and stole the accursed tamborine intending to pawn it, but was instead enslaved by its demonic power before he could relieve himself of it. Unable to resist the Green Tamborine, the man plays it in public, feeding the demon's insatiable need for pocket change. Its need of money is probably the result of some cosmic bargain that led to the demon's imprisonment within the tamborine itself. The spirit must collect within the maw of the instrument a certain amount of money before it can be set free, or worse, exchange places with whatever poor soul happened upon the tamborine.
The Tamborine Man must've quickly ascertained the true nature of the instrument and being a good soul, fought to keep the monster locked within its cage by immediately dispersing the money after the collection. One can only imagine the terrible existence of Tamborine Man, locked in a contest of wills with an imp of enormous psychic power. One can also imagine the frustration of the tamborinic djinn, who sees his hour of freedom come tantalizingly close, only to have his hopes scattered with the money amongst the four winds.
We should therefore not only pity the Tamborine Man, but also take strength from his example, for he demonstrates that even the lowliest of us has the power to stymie the efforts of the Dark Side. If you doubt the djinn's power, you need look no further than The Byrds' own Mr. Tamborine Man. The hypnotic power of the demon was so powerful and lasting that a group of musicians felt compelled to craft a song about the Tamborine Man and then perform it for years without question or hesitation. Even though their song was a result of demonic influence, it does allow us to view firsthand the power of the tamborine from the point of view of the audience, in contrast to the Tamborine Man's own lament and coded warning to stay away at any cost.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
Thanks P, very glad to have you back, missed your strange obsessions!
2 - Al Barger
I have not researched the demonic tamborine issue nearly as extensively as you, so I may not speak as authoritatively.
However, I've wondered if it was not the very same instrument, the demonically possessed Green Tamborine casting its demonic charisma into "Tamborine" from Prince's Around the World in a Day album.
Does the instrument itself radiate an irresistable enchantment wave through the CDs and radios into the minds of unsuspecting listeners?
Scully and Muldar will be out any time now to get your statement.
3 - Eric Olsen
And how does this relate to Robert Johnson's demonic possession? Or was it, in fact, his guitar?
4 - Marty Thau
Better double up on your Wellbutrin intake. Two tablets in the morning and one at night should do it. I happened to have promoted that record and know that it was intended to be psychedelic and imaginative as were many songs of that era. Don't you have better things to do with your time?
5 - Paul
What, like make banal comments to lighthearted posts about shitty songs?
6 - a
What the freakin piece of crap are you talking about?
7 - Dan
Lemmon Pipers only hit. I jammed with the bass player, Steve, in the mid '70's. He was irritated by my guitar's inability to maintain precise tuning. Fine fellow though.
I was impressed with his gold record.
I think he's gone now. As I remember, he had a legal problem with dealing pot in the 90's. The case went to the Indiana Supreme Court because of police procedural problems. It was eventually thrown out, but he didn't live to see it.
8 - Trisha
I think I love you.