| Song |
Lyrics |
Comments |
A Man's a Man
words by Robert Burns |
Is there, for honest poverty
That hings his head, an' a' that?
The coward slave, we pass him by
We dare be poor for a' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
Our toils obscure , an' a' that;
The rank is but the the guinea's stamp;
The Man's the gowd for a' that!
What tho on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hodden grey, an' a' that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine,
A Man's a Man for a' that!
For a' that an' a' that,
Their tinsel show and a' that;
The honest man, though e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that!
Ye see yon birkie ca'd a lord,
Wha struts, and stares, an' a' that;
Tho' hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a coof for a' that:
For a' that an' a' that,
His riband, star, and a' that;
The man of independent mind,
He looks an' laughs at a' that!
A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an' a' that;
But an honest Man's aboon his might,
Guid faith he maunna fa' that!
For a' that an' a' that,
Their dignities an' a' that,
The pith o' sense, an' pride o' worth,
Are higher ranks than a' that.
Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a' that,
That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth,
Shall bear the gree, and a' that;
For a' that, an' a' that,
It's comin' yet for a' that
That Man to Man the warld o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that!
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General Comments; This is a song well-respected
worldwide. It may be a good thing (some maybe think it a
bad thing) that the words in fact do not mention Scotland
by name. It could be an anthem for any country . . . as
long as they were happy to sing in Scots.
The verses are quite different from each other - sung with
understanding this can be quite a strong feature of the
song, but can also be the road to failure through
boredom.
Singability; Moves along quite nicely, and quite
an easy song to follow and to sing, except for the end
of the penultimate line which goes high quite suddenly.
Playability; Quite suitable for most styles, I
think.
Positive; It would be good to have a decent
piece of writing for an anthem ! Already known by many
people.
Negative; Some people have a problem with the
"man" bit - is it sexist ? I don't think so. You
just have to remember that "men" is often correctly used
to mean "people". (Big philological argument. Let's not
go there.)
There is a danger of the song slowing down too much, or
being sung without feeling.
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| Song |
Lyrics |
Comments |
Auld Lang Syne
words by Robert Burns |
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd monie a weary fit,
Sin auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl'd in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.
And there's a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o thine,
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne
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General Comments; Many of the same attributes as
A Man's a Man - known, international, not
specifically Scottish. One of the few songs which, when
the band plays a couple of introductory chords at the end
of the ceilidh/wedding, everybody knows what to do and
what to sing, even if they get confused about when to
cross hands and so on. If taken up as a national anthem,
would it be the only one in the world that also has
accepted movements ?
One problem might be the pre-existing controversy about
the tune. The tune known by most people is not the
original - the originally in Burns' mind being generally
preferred by traditional music nerds (myself included). On
the other hand - alternative tunes for the same anthem ?
Why not ?
Singability; Yes. As is well proven over many
years and in many situations. All styles of singer -
solo to large group. It seems to work fine.
Playability; Well suited to most styles and
groupings.
Positive; Known worldwide, and respected.
Negative; Maybe it is too well known already in
an international sense. And maybe it is too tied up with
Hogmanay/New Year.
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| Song |
Lyrics |
Comments |
Flower of
Scotland
Written by Roy Williamson |
O flower of Scotland
When will we see
Your like again
That fought and died for
Your wee bit hill and glen
And stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again
The hills are bare now
And autumn leaves lie thick and still
O'er land that is lost now
Which those so dearly held
That stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again
Those days are past now
And in the past they must remain
But we can still rise now
And be the nation again
That stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again
(Reprise first verse)
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General Comments; Already accepted by many to be
Scotland's national song, although I think it is only
officially such for international football and rugby
fixtures. It has high popularity, is known by most, and
sung happily by many. It holds that position which only
good anthems do; it carries some official status, yet it
is still sung voluntarily by people when drunk !
In my view the worst thing about the words is that they
refer to things past, to one victory in a history that
records just as many defeats. It suggests that our nation
is currently in a state of failure, and that we should
base our aspirations for the future on a historic fighting
attitude.
Singability; The timing is actually trickier
than most people think. This can be mastered easily by a
solo singer, and a small group can easily hold the tune
together. However, many of us will have been embarrassed
by the attempts of a Scottish crowd to sing this at a
football or rugby match. It can easily fall to pieces.
Is this because of the rest between most lines ?
There will always be somebody willing to jump straight
into the next line. Maybe also the fact that many of the
lines are short, and that two lines can often be managed
on one breath, lends it to rushing. So a band keeps to
the proper timing, and the crowd rushes away.
The "died" in "and died for" (and similarly in the other
verses of course) is too high for most people to sing
comfortably if they start the song at a middle pitch.
Playability; Not the best, actually. I believe
that there is a note that can't be played on the
bagpipes.
Positive; Popular. Well-kent. Very popular,
even. The choice of the majority. Sung well (and without
the "who" - see below), it really can sound good.
Negative; Carries an attitude which is insular
and negative, and can be seen as anti-English. Much of
the section of the population who like it so much think
of it as being anti-English. Casual, tongue-in-cheek
anti-Englishness might be ok in informal situations, but
might be inappropriate in a formal context.
Neds annoyingly think that they can make up for their
ignorance of most of the words by shouting "Who ?" after
"against him".
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| Song |
Lyrics |
Comments |
| Freedom Come
All Ye
Words by Hamish Henderson
Tune "The Bloody Fields of Flanders"
|
Roch the wind in the clear day�s dawin
Blaws the cloods heelster-gowdy ow'r the bay
But there's mair nor a roch wind blawin
Through the great glen o' the warld the day.
It's a thocht that will gar oor rottans
A' they rogues that gang gallus, fresh and gay
Tak the road, and seek ither loanins
For their ill ploys, tae sport and play.
Nae mair will the bonnie callants
March tae war when oor braggarts crousely craw
Nor wee weans frae pit-heid and clachan
Mourn the ships sailing doon the Broomielaw,
Broken faimlies in lands we've herriet
Will curse Scotland the Brave nae mair, nae mair;
Black and white, ane ti ither mairriet,
Mak the vile barracks o' their maisters bare.
So come all ye at hame wi' Freedom,
Never heed whit the hoodies croak for doom.
In your hoose a' the bairns o' Adam
Can find breid, barley-bree and painted room.
When Maclean meets wi's friens in Springburn,
A' the roses and geans will turn tae bloom,
And a black boy frae yont Nyanga
Dings the fell gallows o' the burghers doon.
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General Comments;
Of all the songs on this page, this is the most
internationalist, the most self-depracating, the least
nationalist. The one which most, by its humility, shows
the greatest sense of national self pride. It says nothing
bad about anybody but ourselves, but also makes you
believe that all wrongs can be righted.
I like this one, by the way.
Singability; Good, both for professionals and
amateurs. Not just the easiest of tunes, but can be
learned fairly readily, even with its odd time
signature. The words, being such concentrated Scots,
really take some learning. The tune lies all within one
octave, and makes it good for singing by a group of
people with mixed singing ranges.
Playability; Quite easy for most instruments,
and can be played as anything from a lament to a march !
If adopted as the anthem, a decision would have to be
made to standardise the timing, as the song and the
instrumental tune have slightly different time
signatures.
Positive; Totally politically correct words. No
insult given to anybody in any country. Strong. High
quality of words and music. The lyrics are anything but
shallow.
Negative; Not generally known. Difficult words
to understand even for most Scots, being written in a
language which is not most people's first
language.
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| Song |
Lyrics |
Comments |
God Save the King
attr. to Henry Carey, 1740 |
God save our gracious King,
Long live our noble King,
God save the King!
Send him victorious,
Happy and Glorious,
Long to reign over us;
God save the King !
O Lord our God arise,
Scatter his enemies
And make them fall;
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
Oh, save us all !
Thy choicest gifts in store
On him be pleased to pour;
Long may he reign;
May he defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the King !
Not in this land alone,
But be God's mercies known,
From shore to shore!
Lord make the nations see,
That men should brothers be,
And form one family,
The wide world over
From every latent foe,
From the assassins blow,
God save the King !
O'er him thine arm extend,
For Britain's sake defend,
Our father, prince, and friend,
God save the King !
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General Comments; This song is very well known,
but only as far as verse one. Many people criticise the
second (specifically anti-Scottish) verse, which is
apparently no longer an official part of the UK National
Anthem. (In fact there is no "official" version: the UK
Government website states "There is no authorised version of the National
Anthem as the words are a matter of tradition.".)
Normally only the first verse is sung, and on more fomal
occassions sometimes the first and third.
Singability; Quite easily sung, but difficult to
do much with it that is original.
Playability; Has been proven over the years to
be quite playable by most instrumental mixes.
Positive; People already know it and recognise
it, both here and abroad.
Negative; This goes against the politics of a
large number of Scots, is seen by many as an
"establishment" song, and is certainly non-inclusive. It
does not give Scotland an identity.
It already carries such popularity that at times it is
booed when played in Scotland. There are others who will
not sing it, or who will not stand for it.
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| Song |
Lyrics |
Comments |
| Hermless
Words and Music by Michael Marra
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Hermless
(Michael Marra)
Wi' ma hand on ma hert and ma hert in ma mooth
Wi� erms that could reach ower the sea
Ma feet micht be big but the insects are safe
They'll never get stood on by me
Hermless, hermless, There's never nae bother fae me
I ging to the libry, I tak' oot a book
And then I go hame for ma tea
I save a' the coupons that come wi' the soup
And when I have saved fifty-three
I send awa fifty, pit three in the drar
And something gets posted tae me
Hermless, hermless, There's never nae bother fae me
I dae whit I�m telt and I tidy my room,
And then I come doon for my tea
There's ane or twa lads wha I could cry my chums
They're canny and meek as can be
There's Tam wi' his pigeons, And Wull wi his mice,
And Robert McLennan and me
Hermless, hermless, There's never nae bother fae me
I ging to the libry, I tak' oot a book
And then I go hame for ma tea
Hermless, hermless, there's never nae bother fae me
Naebody�d notice that I wasnae there
If I didnae come hame for ma tea
[REPEAT]
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General Comments; Few who suggest this really
believe it could actually be an anthem, but then with a
wry smile wonder "Why not, it's hermless ?" This is the
kind of song that the Scottish football supporter of the
1970s or earlier would have thought far too soft, but that
the new touchie-feelie Tartan Army might feel comfortable
with.
Singability; Surprisingly difficult, just like
much of Marra's work. Great though with a small bunch of
folk who all know it, and who can take on the chorus,
and maybe even sing the mandolin (?) part !
Playability; Moderate. I've never heard it done
as a piece by a large band. Could be interesting.
Positive; Just so totally different from any
other country's anthem, it would probably become the
world's favourite. Fun to sing. And who could complain
about any of it ? Also, assuming this as the anthem
would give Michael Marra the recognition he deserves for
all the imaginative work he gave us.
Negative; Well, are we really serious ?
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| Song |
Lyrics |
Comments |
Scotland the
Brave
Words by Cliff Hanley
Tune traditional |
Hark when the night is fallin, hear, hear the pipes
a'callin
Loudly and proudly callin' down thru the glen
There where the hills are sleepin', now feel the blood
aleapin'
High as the spirits of the old highland men!
Towering in gallant fame,
Scotland the mountain hame!
High may your proud standards gloriously wave!
Land of the high endeavour, land of the shining river,
Land of my heart, forever, Scotland the brave!
High in the misty highlands, out by the purple islands,
Brave are the hearts that beat beneath Scottish skies!
Wild are the winds to meet you, staunch are the friends
that greet you
Kind as the light that shines from fair maidens eyes!
Towering in gallant fame,
Scotland, my mountain hame!
High may your proud standards gloriously wave!
Land of the high endeavour, land of the shining river,
Land of my heart, forever, Scotland the brave!
Far off in sunlit places, sad are the Scottish faces,
Yearnin' to feel the kiss of sweet Scottish rain!
Where tropic skies are beamin, love sets the heart
adreamin',
Longin' and dreamin' for the homeland again!
Towering in gallant fame,
Scotland, my mountain hame!
High may your proud standards gloriously wave!
Land of the high
endeavour, land of the shinin' river,
Land of my heart, forever, Scotland the brave!
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General Comments; This is a song that people
think they know, but hardly anybody does. It very much has
the feeling of a manufactured piece of tartan self-pride.
It has little to do with real life in Scotland now or at
any time in our history, and does not place us anywhere
internationally except on the lid of the world's
shortbread tin.
Some people love it, and think it is bold, proud,
evocative, and inspiring. Maybe we should ditch the words,
and keep just the tune and the title.
Singability; It is very crowded with words, and
is very difficult to master at any speed. It sounds best
when arranged, with backing band/orchestra.
Playability; Great for a pipe band.
Positive; See "playability". If somebody can
sing it well, it can carry great boldness. The tune is
already recognised in many parts of the world, and stirs
images of pipe bands.
Negative; See all other notes.
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| Song |
Lyrics |
Comments |
Scots Wha Hae
(original title "Robert Bruce's March to Bannockburn")
words by Robert Burns |
Scots, wha' hae wi' Wallace bled,
Scots wham Bruce has often led,
Welcome to your gory bed,
Or to Victorie!
Now's the day, and now's the hour;
See the front o' battle lour,
See approach proud Edward's pow'r
Chains and slaverie!
Wha will be a traitor knave?
Wha can fill a coward's grave?
Wha sae base as be a slave?
Let him turn and flee!
Wha for Scotland's King and law
Freedom's sword will strongly draw?
Freeman stand, or freeman fa'?
Let him follow me!
By oppression's woes and pains!
By your sons in servile chains!
We will drain our dearest veins,
But they shall be free!
Lay the proud usurper low!
Tyrants fall in ev'ry foe!
Liberty's in ev'ry blow!
Let us do or die!
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General Comments; Another song that already has a
long history of being Scotland's "almost-anthem". The tune
(Hey Tutti Tatti) is reputed to be that used by
Robert Bruce on his army's approach to Bannockburn, and it
is said that the tune was already an old tune at that
time. The text has some of the feel of sections of the
Declaration of Arbroath, again giving it deep historical
roots. Further political complexities stem from its
connections to the late 18th Century trials of various
people for sedition. This song has hidden depths !
Singability; Fairly challenging. People would
need to learn how to sing this properly. There is a
natural tendency to start singing a tune at about the
lower-middle of one's vocal range. Scots Wha Hae
often catches people out because they have either
started too high or too low, but most singers can manage
it fine if they start correctly. However, singing in a
key to suit a group usually leaves some folk floundering
at some point..
Playability; Suits most media well, and can
sound very bold and stirring when played well by a pipe
or military band.
Positive; Ancient. Respected. Well-known.
Stirring, and simply brimming over with national pride.
Politically, this song also has a secondary layer, more
powerful than the first.
Negative; Again a song that depends on martial
strength rather than humanity. It recalls past battles
(and fighting the English) rather than looking to
ourselves and the wider world. Is it possible to find a
National Anthem that doesn't mention England's King
Edward ? (see also Flower of Scotland !)
This can easily turn into a dirge.
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Bob Murray [Email the writer.]