Scottish Folk Songs and Lyrics
(Information taken from the Internet)
#Caledonia#
by Robert Burns
There was on a time, but old Time was then young,
That brave Caledonia, the chief of her line,
From some of your northern deities sprung
(Who knows not that brave Caledonia's divine?)
From Tweed to the Orcades was her domain,
To hunt, or to pasture, or do what she would.
Her heav'nly relations there fixed her reign,
And pledg'd her their godheads to warrant it good.
A lambkin in peace but a lion in war,
The pride of her kindred the heroine grew.
Her grandsire, old Odin, triumphantly swore:-
'Whoe'er shall provoke thee, th' encounter shall rue!
With tillage or pasture at times she would sport,
To feed her fair flocks by her green rustling corn;
But chiefly the woods were her fav'rite resort,
Her darling amusement the hounds and the horn,
Long quiet she reign'd, till thitherward steers
A flight of bold eagles from Adria's strand,
Repeated, successive, for many long years,
bold eagles from Adria's strandThey darken'd the air, and they plunder'd the land,
Their pounces were murder, and horror their cry;
They'd conquer'd and ravag'd a world beside.
She took to her hills, and her arrows let fly-
The daring invaders, they fled or they died!
The Cameleon-Savage disturb'd her repose,
With tumult, disquiet, rebellion, and strife,
Provok'd beyond bearing, at last she arose,
And robb'd him at once of his hopes and his life.
The Anglian lion, the terror of France,
Oft, prowling, ensanguin'd the Tweed's silver flood,
But, taught by the bright Caledonian lance,
He learned to fear in his own native wood.
The fell Harpy-raven took wing from the north
The scourge of the seas, and the dread of the shore;
The Wild Scandinavian Boar issued forth
To wanton in carnage and wallow in gore;
O'er countries and kingdoms their fury prevail,
No arts could appease them, no arms could repel;
But brave Caledonia in vain they assail'd
As Largs well can witness, and Loncartie tell.
Thus bold, independent, unconquer'd, and free,
Her bright course of glory for ever shall run,
For brave Caledonia immortal must be,
I'll prove it from Euclid as clear as the sun:
Rectangle-triangle, the figure we'll chuse,
The upright is Chance, and old Time is the Base.
But brave Caledonia's the hypothenuse;
Then, ergo, she'll match them, and match them always!
Meaning of unusual words:
Orcades=Orkney
Odin=Swedish god (an allusion to the blief that the Picts came from Scandinavia
Camelon-Savage=Picts in war paint (Camelon near Falkirk was one of the legendary capital of the Picts.
bold eagles from Adria's strand=Roman legions from the Adriatic
Harpy-Raven=Danes
Largs=Scottish victory over the Vikings in 1263
Loncartie=Luncartie - a Scottish victory over the Danes in 990AD
#A Highlander's Farewell#
by Alexander McGlashan, 1778, 1781.
O where shall I gae seek my bred?
Or where shall I gae wander?
O where shall I gae hide my head?
For here I'll bide nae langer.
The seas may row, the winds may blow,
And swathe me round in danger,
My native land I must forego,
And roam a lonely stranger.
The glen that was my father's own,
Must be, by his, forsaken,
And the house that was my father's home
Is leveled with the brake.
Ochon ochon, our glory's oer,
Stole by a mean deceiver,
Our hands are on the broad claymore,
But might is broke forever.
And thou my prince, my injured prince,
Thy people have disowned thee,
Have hunted and have driven thee hence
With ruined chiefs around thee.
Though hard beset, when I forget
Thy fate, young helpless rover,
This broken heart shall cease to beat
And all its griefs be over.
Farewell, farewell, dear Caledon
Land of Gael no longer!
A stranger fills thy ancient throne,
In guile and treachery stronger.
Thy brave, thy just, fall in the dust,
On ruin's brink they quiver,
Heaven's pitying ee is closed on thee,
Adieu, adieu forever.
#The Scottish Emigrant's Farewell#
by Alexander Hume.
Fareweel, fareweel, my native home,
Thy lanely glens and heath clad mountains,
Fareweel thy fields o' storied fame,
Thy leafy shaws and sparkling fountains,
Nae mair I'll climb the Pentlands steep,
Nor wander by the Esk's clear river,
I seek a hame far o'er the deep,
My native land, Fareweel, forever.
Thou land wi' love an' freedom crown'd,
In ilk wee cot and lordly dwelling
may many hearted youth be found,
And maids in ev'ry grace excelling;
The land where Bruce and Wallace wight,
For freedom fought in days o' danger,
Ne'er crouch'd to proud usurpin' might,
But foremost stood, wrongs' stern avenger.
Tho' far frae thee, my native shore,
An' toss'd on life's tempestuous ocean,
My heart, aye Scottish to the core,
Shall cling to thee wi' warm devotion,
An' while the waving heather grows,
An' onward rows the winding river,
The toast be 'Scotland's broomy knowes,
Her mountains, rocks, and glens forever!'
#Scottish Soldier#
(?)
There was a soldier, a Scottish soldier
Who wandered far away and soldiered far away
There was none bolder, with good broad shoulder
He's fought in many a fray
And fought and won!
He'd seen the glory and told the story
Of battles glorious
And deeds victorious
But now he's sighing, his heart is crying,
To leave these green hills of Tyrol
Because these green hills are not Highland hills
Or the island hills they're not my land's hills!
And fair as these green foreign hills may be
They are not the hills of home.
And now this soldier, this Scottish soldier
Who wandered far away and soldiered far away
Sees leaves are falling and death is calling
And he will fade away in that far land!
He called his piper, his trusty piper
And bade him sound a lay
A pibroch sad to play
Upon a hillside, but Scottish hillside
Not on these green hills of Tyrol.
Because these green hills are not Highland hills
Or the island hills they're not my land's hills!
And fair as these green foreign hills may be
They are not the hills of home.
And so this soldier, this Scottish soldier
Will wander far no more and soldier far no more
And on a hillside, a Scottish hillside
You'll see a piper play
His soldier home!
He'd seen the glory, he'd told the story
Of battles glorious
And deeds victorious
The bugles cease now, he is at peace now
Far from those green hills of Tyrol
Because these green hills are not Highland hills
Or the island hills they're not my land's hills!
And fair as these green foreign hills may be
They are not the hills of home.
#Flower Of Scotland (an unofficial Scottish national anthem)#
Oh 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
And stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again.
Those days are passed 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.
Fiddlers Green
As I roved by the dockside on evening so rare
To view the still waters and take the salt air
I heard an old fisherman singing this song
O take me away boys my time is not long
Chorus:
Dress me up in me oilskin and jumper
No more on the docks I'll be seen
Just tell me old shipmates
I'm taking a trip, mates
And I'll see them someday in Fiddler's Green
Now Fiddler's Green is a place I've heard tell
Where fishermen go when they don't go to Hell
Where the weather is fair and the dolphins do play
And the cold coast of Greenland is far, far away
Chorus
The sky's always clear and there's never a gale
And the fish jump on board with a flip of their tail
You can lie at your leisure, there's no work to do
And the skipper's below making tea for the crew
Chorus
And when you're in dock and the long trip is thru
There's pubs and there's clubs, and there's lassies there too
Now the girls are all pretty and the beer is all free
And there's bottles of rum hanging from every tree
Chorus
I don't want a harp or a halo, not me
Just give me a breeze and a good rolling sea
And I'll play me old squeeze box as we sail along
When the wind's in the rigging to sing me this song
Chorus
#I'm A Freeborn Man#
I am a freeborn man of the travelling people
Got no fixed abode, with nomads I am numbered
Country lanes and byways were always my ways
Never fancied being lumbered
O we knew the woods, all the resting places
And the small birds sang when wintertime was over
Then we'd pack our load and be on the road
They were good old times for the rover
There was open ground where a man could linger
Stay a week or two for time was not your master
Then away you'd jog with your horse and dog
Nice and easy, no need to go faster
Now and then you'd meet up with other travellers
Hear the news or else swap family information
At the country fairs, we'd be meeting there
All the people of the travelling nation
All you freeborn men of the travelling people
Every tinker, rolling stone, or gypsy rover
Winds of change are blowing, old ways are going
Your traveling days will soon be over
#I Will Go#
Chorus:
I will go, I will go
When the fighting is over
Tae the land o' MacLeod
That I left to be a soldier
I will go, I will go
When the King's son came along
And called us all together
Sayin', Brave Highland men
Will you fight for my father?
I will go, I will go
Chorus
I've a buckle on my belt
A sword in my scabbard
A red coat on my back
And a shillin' in my pocket
I will go, I will go
Chorus
When they brought us all on board
The lasses were singin'
But the tears came to their eyes
When the bells started ringin'
I will go, I will go
Chorus
When we landed on the shore
And saw the foreign heather
We knew that some would fall
And would lie there forever
I will go, I will go
Chorus
When we came back to the glen
The winter was coming
Our goods lay in the snow
And our houses were burnin'
I will go, I will go
Chorus
#Macphersons Rant#
Farewell, ye dungeons dark and strong
Farewell, farewell to thee.
Macpherson's time will no' be lang
On yonder gallows tree.
Chorus
Sae rantingly, sae wontonly
Sae dauntingly gaed he
He played a tune an' he danced aroon
Beneath the gallows tree.
It was by a woman's treacherous hand
That I was condemned to dee
Beneath a ledge at a window she stood
And a blanket she threw o'er me.
Chorus
Well the laird o' Grant, that highlan' sa'nt
That first laid hands on me
He played the cause on Peter Broon
To let Macpherson dee.
Chorus
Untie these bands from off my hands
And gie to me my sword
There's nae a man in a' Scotland
But I'll brave him at a word.
Chorus
There's some come here to see me hanged
And some to buy my fiddle
But before that I do part wi' her
I'll brak her thro' the middle.
Chorus
He took the fiddle into both his hands
And he broke it o'er a stone
Says there's nae other hand shall play on thee
When I am dead and gone.
Chorus
O, little did my mother think
When she first cradled me
That I would turn a rovin' boy
And die on the gallows tree.
Chorus
The reprive was comin' o'er the brig o' Banff
To let Macpherson free
But they pit the clock a quarter afore
And hanged him to a tree.
#My Ain Folk#
Far frae my hame I wander,
But still my thoughts return,
To my ain folk ower yonder,
In the sheiling by the burn.
I see the cosy ingle,
And the mist abune the brae:
And joy and sadness mingle,
As I list some auld-warld lay.
And it's oh! but I'm longing
For my ain folk.
Tho' they be but lowly,
Puir and plain folk.
I am far beyond the sea,
But my heart will ever be
At home in dear auld Scotland,
Wi my ain folk.
O' their absent ane they're telling
The auld folk by the fire:
And I mark the swift tears welling
As the ruddy flame leaps high'r.
How the mither wad caress me,
Were I but by her side:
Now she prays that Heav'n will bless me.
Tho' the stormy seas divide.
And it's oh! but I'm longing
For my ain folk,
Tho' they be but lowly,
Puir and plain folk.
I am far beyond the sea,
But my heart will ever be
At home in dear auld Scotland.
Wi' my ain folk
#My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose#
O my love is like a red red rose,
That's newly sprung in June.
O my love is like a melodic
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass.
So deep in love am I.
And I will love thee still, my dear.
Till a the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
And I will love thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
And I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare-thee-weel, my only love!
And fare-thee-weel a while!
And I will come again, my love,
Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile.
Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile, my love,
Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile.
And I will come again, my love,
Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile.
#Northern Lights Of Old Aberdeen#
When I was a lad, a tiny wee lad
My mother said to me
Come see the Northern Lights my boy
They're bright as they can be
She called them the heavenly dancers
Merry dancers in the sky
I'll never forget, that wonderful sight
They made the heavens bright
Chorus:
The Northern Lights of old Aberdeen
Mean home sweet home to me
The Northern Lights of old Aberdeen
Are what I long to see
I’ve been a wanderer all of my life
Any many a sight I've seen
God speed the day when l' m on my way
To my home in Aberdeen
I've wandered in many far-off lands
And travelled many a mile
I've missed the folk I cherished most
The joy of a friendly smile
It warms up the heart of a wand'rer
The clasp of a welcoming hand
To greet me when, I return
Home to my native land
Chorus
#O Sing To Me The Auld Scotch Sangs#
O sing to me the auld Scotch sangs in the braud Scottish tongue,
The sangs my father lov’d to hear, the sangs my mother sung,
When she sat beside my cradle Or croon'd me on her knee,
And I wad-na sleep she Sang so sweet, the auld Scotch Sang to me,
And I wad-na sleep she Sang so sweet, the auld Scotch sang to me.
Yes! sing the auld, the gude auld Sangs, auld Scotia's gentle pride,
O' the wimpling bum and the sunny brae, an' the cosie ingle-side,
Sangs o’ the broom an' heather, sangs o' the trysting tree,
The laverock’s lilt and the gowan’s blink, the auld Scotch sangs for me
The laverock’s lilt and the gowan’s blink, the auld Scotch Sangs for me
Sing ony o' the auld S cotch sangs, the blithesome or the sad,
They mak’ me smile when I am wae, and greet me when I’ glad,
My heart gaes back to auld Scotland, the saut tears dim my e’e,
And the Scotch blood leaps in a’ my veins, as ye sing the songs to me,
And the Scotch blood leaps in a' my veins, as ye sing the songs to me.
Sing on, sing mair o' they auld sangs, fur ilka ane can tell,
O' joy or sorrow i' the past, where memory loves to dwell,
Tho' hair win gray, and limbs win auld, until the day I dee,
I'll bless the Scottish tongue that sings, the auld Scotch sangs to me,
I'll bless the Scottish tongue that sings, the auld Scotch sangs to me.
#Parcel Of Rogues#
Fareweel to a' our Scottish fame,
Fareweel our ancient glory;
Fareweel to e'en our Scottish name
Sae fam'd in sang and story.
Now Sark rins tae th' Solway sands,
An' Tweed runs t' th' ocean..
Tae mark whaur England's Province stands,
Sic a parcel of rogues in a nation!
What force or guile could not subdue
Thro' many warlike ages,
Is wrought now by a coward few
For hireling traitor's wages.
The English steel we could disdain,
Secure in valour's station.
But English gold has been our bane:
Sic a parcel of rogues in a nation!
Oh, would or had I seen the day
That treason thus could sell us!
My auld grey head had lien in clay,
Wi' Bruce and loyal Wallace!
But, pith and power, till my last hour,
I'll make this declaration:
We were bought and sold for English gold!
Sic a parcel of rogues in a nation!
Scotland For Ever
Days are gone Oh my land my home
When our fathers fought to be free
Now we have our say, we would lead the way
Once more Oh Scotland for ever
Proud and brave Oh our fathers gave
For the right to think as we do
And in freedoms name we would stand again
Once more Oh Scotland for ever
High above on this land I love
Is the flag that is dearest to me
Let the banners fly In a Scottish sky
Once more Oh Scotland for ever
Days are gone Oh my land my home
But In memories still they remain
So proud to be in a land that's free
Once more Oh Scotland for ever
#Scotland the Brave#
Hark when the night is falling
Hear! the pipes are calling,
Loudly and proudly calling,
Down thro' the glen.
There where the hills are sleeping,
Now feel the blood a-leaping.
High as the spirits of the old Highland men.
Chorus:
Towering in gallant fame,
Scotland my mountain hame,
High may your proud standards gloriously wave,
Land of my 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 love that shines
From fair maidens' eyes.
Chorus
Far off in sunlit places,
Sad are the Scottish faces,
Yearning to feel the kiss
Of sweet Scottish rain.
Where tropic skies are beaming,
Love sets the heart a-dreaming,
Longing and dreaming for the homeland again.
Chorus
#Scots Wha Hae#
Scots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled,
Scots wham Bruce has often led,
Welcome to your gorie 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 on wi, 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 Usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe!
Liberty's in every blow!
Let us do or die!
#Sweet Rose of Allandale#
The sky was clear, the morn was fair
Not a breath came over the sea
When Mary left her highland home
And wandered forth with me
Though flowers decked the mountainside
And fragrance filled the vale
By far the sweetest flower there
Was the rose of Allandale.
Chorus
Sweet rose of Allandale
Sweet rose of Allandale
By far the sweetest flower there
Was the rose of Allandale.
Where'er I wander to the east and to the west
And fate began to lower
A solace still was she to me
In sorrow's lonely hour
Though tempest wreck my lonely barque
And may rend the quivering sail
One maiden warm withstood the storm
Twas the rose of Allandale.
Chorus
And when my feeble lips were parched
On Africa's burning sands
She whispered hopes of happiness
And tales of foreign lands
My life had been a wilderness
Unblessed by fortune's gales
Had fate not linked my lot to her
Sweet rose of Allandale.
#These Are My Mountains#
For fame and for fortune
I wandered the earth
And now I've come back to
This land of my birth
I’ve brought back my treasures
But only to find
They're less than the pleasures
I first left behind
Chorus
For these are my mountains
And this is my glen
The braes of my childhood
Will know me again
No land's ever claimed me
Tho'far I did roam
For these are my mountains
And I'm going home
The burn by the road sings
At my going by
The whaup o’er the head wings
With welcoming cry
The loch where the scart flies
At last I can see
Its here where my heart lies
It’s here I’ll be free
Chorus
Kind faces will greet me
And welcome me in
And how they will greet me
My ain kith and kin
This night round the ingle
Old songs will be sung
At last I'll be hearing
My ain mother tongue
Chorus
#Twa Recruitin Sergeants#
Twa recruiting sergeants came fra the Black Watch
Tae markets and fairs, some recruits for tae catch
But a' that they 'listed was forty and twa:
Enlist my bonnie laddie an' come awa
Chorus:
And it's over the mountain and over the main
Through Gibralter, to France and Spain
Pit a feather tae your bonnet, and a kilt aboon your knee
Enlist my bonnie laddie and come awa with me.
Oh laddie ye dinna ken the danger that yer in
If yer horses was to fleg, and yer owsen was to rin
This greedy ole farmer, he wouldna pay yer fee
Sae list my bonnie laddie and come awa wi' me
Chorus
With your tattie porin's and yer meal and kale,
Yer soor sowan' soorin's and yer ill-brewed ale,
Yer buttermilk, yer whey, and yer breid fired raw
Sae list my bonnie laddie and come awa
Chorus
And its into the barn and out o' the byre
This ole farmer, he thinks ye never tire
It's slavery a' yer life, a life o' low degree
Sae list my bonnie laddie and come awa with me
Chorus
O laddie if ye've got a sweetheart an' a bairn,
Ye'll easily get rid o' that ill-spun yarn
Twa rattles o' the drum aye and that'll pay it a'
Sae list my bonnie laddie and come awa.
Chorus
Raw ver. Will do some edit next time.
#Caledonia#
by Robert Burns
There was on a time, but old Time was then young,
That brave Caledonia, the chief of her line,
From some of your northern deities sprung
(Who knows not that brave Caledonia's divine?)
From Tweed to the Orcades was her domain,
To hunt, or to pasture, or do what she would.
Her heav'nly relations there fixed her reign,
And pledg'd her their godheads to warrant it good.
A lambkin in peace but a lion in war,
The pride of her kindred the heroine grew.
Her grandsire, old Odin, triumphantly swore:-
'Whoe'er shall provoke thee, th' encounter shall rue!
With tillage or pasture at times she would sport,
To feed her fair flocks by her green rustling corn;
But chiefly the woods were her fav'rite resort,
Her darling amusement the hounds and the horn,
Long quiet she reign'd, till thitherward steers
A flight of bold eagles from Adria's strand,
Repeated, successive, for many long years,
bold eagles from Adria's strandThey darken'd the air, and they plunder'd the land,
Their pounces were murder, and horror their cry;
They'd conquer'd and ravag'd a world beside.
She took to her hills, and her arrows let fly-
The daring invaders, they fled or they died!
The Cameleon-Savage disturb'd her repose,
With tumult, disquiet, rebellion, and strife,
Provok'd beyond bearing, at last she arose,
And robb'd him at once of his hopes and his life.
The Anglian lion, the terror of France,
Oft, prowling, ensanguin'd the Tweed's silver flood,
But, taught by the bright Caledonian lance,
He learned to fear in his own native wood.
The fell Harpy-raven took wing from the north
The scourge of the seas, and the dread of the shore;
The Wild Scandinavian Boar issued forth
To wanton in carnage and wallow in gore;
O'er countries and kingdoms their fury prevail,
No arts could appease them, no arms could repel;
But brave Caledonia in vain they assail'd
As Largs well can witness, and Loncartie tell.
Thus bold, independent, unconquer'd, and free,
Her bright course of glory for ever shall run,
For brave Caledonia immortal must be,
I'll prove it from Euclid as clear as the sun:
Rectangle-triangle, the figure we'll chuse,
The upright is Chance, and old Time is the Base.
But brave Caledonia's the hypothenuse;
Then, ergo, she'll match them, and match them always!
Meaning of unusual words:
Orcades=Orkney
Odin=Swedish god (an allusion to the blief that the Picts came from Scandinavia
Camelon-Savage=Picts in war paint (Camelon near Falkirk was one of the legendary capital of the Picts.
bold eagles from Adria's strand=Roman legions from the Adriatic
Harpy-Raven=Danes
Largs=Scottish victory over the Vikings in 1263
Loncartie=Luncartie - a Scottish victory over the Danes in 990AD
#A Highlander's Farewell#
by Alexander McGlashan, 1778, 1781.
O where shall I gae seek my bred?
Or where shall I gae wander?
O where shall I gae hide my head?
For here I'll bide nae langer.
The seas may row, the winds may blow,
And swathe me round in danger,
My native land I must forego,
And roam a lonely stranger.
The glen that was my father's own,
Must be, by his, forsaken,
And the house that was my father's home
Is leveled with the brake.
Ochon ochon, our glory's oer,
Stole by a mean deceiver,
Our hands are on the broad claymore,
But might is broke forever.
And thou my prince, my injured prince,
Thy people have disowned thee,
Have hunted and have driven thee hence
With ruined chiefs around thee.
Though hard beset, when I forget
Thy fate, young helpless rover,
This broken heart shall cease to beat
And all its griefs be over.
Farewell, farewell, dear Caledon
Land of Gael no longer!
A stranger fills thy ancient throne,
In guile and treachery stronger.
Thy brave, thy just, fall in the dust,
On ruin's brink they quiver,
Heaven's pitying ee is closed on thee,
Adieu, adieu forever.
#The Scottish Emigrant's Farewell#
by Alexander Hume.
Fareweel, fareweel, my native home,
Thy lanely glens and heath clad mountains,
Fareweel thy fields o' storied fame,
Thy leafy shaws and sparkling fountains,
Nae mair I'll climb the Pentlands steep,
Nor wander by the Esk's clear river,
I seek a hame far o'er the deep,
My native land, Fareweel, forever.
Thou land wi' love an' freedom crown'd,
In ilk wee cot and lordly dwelling
may many hearted youth be found,
And maids in ev'ry grace excelling;
The land where Bruce and Wallace wight,
For freedom fought in days o' danger,
Ne'er crouch'd to proud usurpin' might,
But foremost stood, wrongs' stern avenger.
Tho' far frae thee, my native shore,
An' toss'd on life's tempestuous ocean,
My heart, aye Scottish to the core,
Shall cling to thee wi' warm devotion,
An' while the waving heather grows,
An' onward rows the winding river,
The toast be 'Scotland's broomy knowes,
Her mountains, rocks, and glens forever!'
#Scottish Soldier#
(?)
There was a soldier, a Scottish soldier
Who wandered far away and soldiered far away
There was none bolder, with good broad shoulder
He's fought in many a fray
And fought and won!
He'd seen the glory and told the story
Of battles glorious
And deeds victorious
But now he's sighing, his heart is crying,
To leave these green hills of Tyrol
Because these green hills are not Highland hills
Or the island hills they're not my land's hills!
And fair as these green foreign hills may be
They are not the hills of home.
And now this soldier, this Scottish soldier
Who wandered far away and soldiered far away
Sees leaves are falling and death is calling
And he will fade away in that far land!
He called his piper, his trusty piper
And bade him sound a lay
A pibroch sad to play
Upon a hillside, but Scottish hillside
Not on these green hills of Tyrol.
Because these green hills are not Highland hills
Or the island hills they're not my land's hills!
And fair as these green foreign hills may be
They are not the hills of home.
And so this soldier, this Scottish soldier
Will wander far no more and soldier far no more
And on a hillside, a Scottish hillside
You'll see a piper play
His soldier home!
He'd seen the glory, he'd told the story
Of battles glorious
And deeds victorious
The bugles cease now, he is at peace now
Far from those green hills of Tyrol
Because these green hills are not Highland hills
Or the island hills they're not my land's hills!
And fair as these green foreign hills may be
They are not the hills of home.
#Flower Of Scotland (an unofficial Scottish national anthem)#
Oh 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
And stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again.
Those days are passed 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.
Fiddlers Green
As I roved by the dockside on evening so rare
To view the still waters and take the salt air
I heard an old fisherman singing this song
O take me away boys my time is not long
Chorus:
Dress me up in me oilskin and jumper
No more on the docks I'll be seen
Just tell me old shipmates
I'm taking a trip, mates
And I'll see them someday in Fiddler's Green
Now Fiddler's Green is a place I've heard tell
Where fishermen go when they don't go to Hell
Where the weather is fair and the dolphins do play
And the cold coast of Greenland is far, far away
Chorus
The sky's always clear and there's never a gale
And the fish jump on board with a flip of their tail
You can lie at your leisure, there's no work to do
And the skipper's below making tea for the crew
Chorus
And when you're in dock and the long trip is thru
There's pubs and there's clubs, and there's lassies there too
Now the girls are all pretty and the beer is all free
And there's bottles of rum hanging from every tree
Chorus
I don't want a harp or a halo, not me
Just give me a breeze and a good rolling sea
And I'll play me old squeeze box as we sail along
When the wind's in the rigging to sing me this song
Chorus
#I'm A Freeborn Man#
I am a freeborn man of the travelling people
Got no fixed abode, with nomads I am numbered
Country lanes and byways were always my ways
Never fancied being lumbered
O we knew the woods, all the resting places
And the small birds sang when wintertime was over
Then we'd pack our load and be on the road
They were good old times for the rover
There was open ground where a man could linger
Stay a week or two for time was not your master
Then away you'd jog with your horse and dog
Nice and easy, no need to go faster
Now and then you'd meet up with other travellers
Hear the news or else swap family information
At the country fairs, we'd be meeting there
All the people of the travelling nation
All you freeborn men of the travelling people
Every tinker, rolling stone, or gypsy rover
Winds of change are blowing, old ways are going
Your traveling days will soon be over
#I Will Go#
Chorus:
I will go, I will go
When the fighting is over
Tae the land o' MacLeod
That I left to be a soldier
I will go, I will go
When the King's son came along
And called us all together
Sayin', Brave Highland men
Will you fight for my father?
I will go, I will go
Chorus
I've a buckle on my belt
A sword in my scabbard
A red coat on my back
And a shillin' in my pocket
I will go, I will go
Chorus
When they brought us all on board
The lasses were singin'
But the tears came to their eyes
When the bells started ringin'
I will go, I will go
Chorus
When we landed on the shore
And saw the foreign heather
We knew that some would fall
And would lie there forever
I will go, I will go
Chorus
When we came back to the glen
The winter was coming
Our goods lay in the snow
And our houses were burnin'
I will go, I will go
Chorus
#Macphersons Rant#
Farewell, ye dungeons dark and strong
Farewell, farewell to thee.
Macpherson's time will no' be lang
On yonder gallows tree.
Chorus
Sae rantingly, sae wontonly
Sae dauntingly gaed he
He played a tune an' he danced aroon
Beneath the gallows tree.
It was by a woman's treacherous hand
That I was condemned to dee
Beneath a ledge at a window she stood
And a blanket she threw o'er me.
Chorus
Well the laird o' Grant, that highlan' sa'nt
That first laid hands on me
He played the cause on Peter Broon
To let Macpherson dee.
Chorus
Untie these bands from off my hands
And gie to me my sword
There's nae a man in a' Scotland
But I'll brave him at a word.
Chorus
There's some come here to see me hanged
And some to buy my fiddle
But before that I do part wi' her
I'll brak her thro' the middle.
Chorus
He took the fiddle into both his hands
And he broke it o'er a stone
Says there's nae other hand shall play on thee
When I am dead and gone.
Chorus
O, little did my mother think
When she first cradled me
That I would turn a rovin' boy
And die on the gallows tree.
Chorus
The reprive was comin' o'er the brig o' Banff
To let Macpherson free
But they pit the clock a quarter afore
And hanged him to a tree.
#My Ain Folk#
Far frae my hame I wander,
But still my thoughts return,
To my ain folk ower yonder,
In the sheiling by the burn.
I see the cosy ingle,
And the mist abune the brae:
And joy and sadness mingle,
As I list some auld-warld lay.
And it's oh! but I'm longing
For my ain folk.
Tho' they be but lowly,
Puir and plain folk.
I am far beyond the sea,
But my heart will ever be
At home in dear auld Scotland,
Wi my ain folk.
O' their absent ane they're telling
The auld folk by the fire:
And I mark the swift tears welling
As the ruddy flame leaps high'r.
How the mither wad caress me,
Were I but by her side:
Now she prays that Heav'n will bless me.
Tho' the stormy seas divide.
And it's oh! but I'm longing
For my ain folk,
Tho' they be but lowly,
Puir and plain folk.
I am far beyond the sea,
But my heart will ever be
At home in dear auld Scotland.
Wi' my ain folk
#My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose#
O my love is like a red red rose,
That's newly sprung in June.
O my love is like a melodic
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass.
So deep in love am I.
And I will love thee still, my dear.
Till a the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
And I will love thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
And I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare-thee-weel, my only love!
And fare-thee-weel a while!
And I will come again, my love,
Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile.
Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile, my love,
Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile.
And I will come again, my love,
Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile.
#Northern Lights Of Old Aberdeen#
When I was a lad, a tiny wee lad
My mother said to me
Come see the Northern Lights my boy
They're bright as they can be
She called them the heavenly dancers
Merry dancers in the sky
I'll never forget, that wonderful sight
They made the heavens bright
Chorus:
The Northern Lights of old Aberdeen
Mean home sweet home to me
The Northern Lights of old Aberdeen
Are what I long to see
I’ve been a wanderer all of my life
Any many a sight I've seen
God speed the day when l' m on my way
To my home in Aberdeen
I've wandered in many far-off lands
And travelled many a mile
I've missed the folk I cherished most
The joy of a friendly smile
It warms up the heart of a wand'rer
The clasp of a welcoming hand
To greet me when, I return
Home to my native land
Chorus
#O Sing To Me The Auld Scotch Sangs#
O sing to me the auld Scotch sangs in the braud Scottish tongue,
The sangs my father lov’d to hear, the sangs my mother sung,
When she sat beside my cradle Or croon'd me on her knee,
And I wad-na sleep she Sang so sweet, the auld Scotch Sang to me,
And I wad-na sleep she Sang so sweet, the auld Scotch sang to me.
Yes! sing the auld, the gude auld Sangs, auld Scotia's gentle pride,
O' the wimpling bum and the sunny brae, an' the cosie ingle-side,
Sangs o’ the broom an' heather, sangs o' the trysting tree,
The laverock’s lilt and the gowan’s blink, the auld Scotch sangs for me
The laverock’s lilt and the gowan’s blink, the auld Scotch Sangs for me
Sing ony o' the auld S cotch sangs, the blithesome or the sad,
They mak’ me smile when I am wae, and greet me when I’ glad,
My heart gaes back to auld Scotland, the saut tears dim my e’e,
And the Scotch blood leaps in a’ my veins, as ye sing the songs to me,
And the Scotch blood leaps in a' my veins, as ye sing the songs to me.
Sing on, sing mair o' they auld sangs, fur ilka ane can tell,
O' joy or sorrow i' the past, where memory loves to dwell,
Tho' hair win gray, and limbs win auld, until the day I dee,
I'll bless the Scottish tongue that sings, the auld Scotch sangs to me,
I'll bless the Scottish tongue that sings, the auld Scotch sangs to me.
#Parcel Of Rogues#
Fareweel to a' our Scottish fame,
Fareweel our ancient glory;
Fareweel to e'en our Scottish name
Sae fam'd in sang and story.
Now Sark rins tae th' Solway sands,
An' Tweed runs t' th' ocean..
Tae mark whaur England's Province stands,
Sic a parcel of rogues in a nation!
What force or guile could not subdue
Thro' many warlike ages,
Is wrought now by a coward few
For hireling traitor's wages.
The English steel we could disdain,
Secure in valour's station.
But English gold has been our bane:
Sic a parcel of rogues in a nation!
Oh, would or had I seen the day
That treason thus could sell us!
My auld grey head had lien in clay,
Wi' Bruce and loyal Wallace!
But, pith and power, till my last hour,
I'll make this declaration:
We were bought and sold for English gold!
Sic a parcel of rogues in a nation!
Scotland For Ever
Days are gone Oh my land my home
When our fathers fought to be free
Now we have our say, we would lead the way
Once more Oh Scotland for ever
Proud and brave Oh our fathers gave
For the right to think as we do
And in freedoms name we would stand again
Once more Oh Scotland for ever
High above on this land I love
Is the flag that is dearest to me
Let the banners fly In a Scottish sky
Once more Oh Scotland for ever
Days are gone Oh my land my home
But In memories still they remain
So proud to be in a land that's free
Once more Oh Scotland for ever
#Scotland the Brave#
Hark when the night is falling
Hear! the pipes are calling,
Loudly and proudly calling,
Down thro' the glen.
There where the hills are sleeping,
Now feel the blood a-leaping.
High as the spirits of the old Highland men.
Chorus:
Towering in gallant fame,
Scotland my mountain hame,
High may your proud standards gloriously wave,
Land of my 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 love that shines
From fair maidens' eyes.
Chorus
Far off in sunlit places,
Sad are the Scottish faces,
Yearning to feel the kiss
Of sweet Scottish rain.
Where tropic skies are beaming,
Love sets the heart a-dreaming,
Longing and dreaming for the homeland again.
Chorus
#Scots Wha Hae#
Scots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled,
Scots wham Bruce has often led,
Welcome to your gorie 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 on wi, 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 Usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe!
Liberty's in every blow!
Let us do or die!
#Sweet Rose of Allandale#
The sky was clear, the morn was fair
Not a breath came over the sea
When Mary left her highland home
And wandered forth with me
Though flowers decked the mountainside
And fragrance filled the vale
By far the sweetest flower there
Was the rose of Allandale.
Chorus
Sweet rose of Allandale
Sweet rose of Allandale
By far the sweetest flower there
Was the rose of Allandale.
Where'er I wander to the east and to the west
And fate began to lower
A solace still was she to me
In sorrow's lonely hour
Though tempest wreck my lonely barque
And may rend the quivering sail
One maiden warm withstood the storm
Twas the rose of Allandale.
Chorus
And when my feeble lips were parched
On Africa's burning sands
She whispered hopes of happiness
And tales of foreign lands
My life had been a wilderness
Unblessed by fortune's gales
Had fate not linked my lot to her
Sweet rose of Allandale.
#These Are My Mountains#
For fame and for fortune
I wandered the earth
And now I've come back to
This land of my birth
I’ve brought back my treasures
But only to find
They're less than the pleasures
I first left behind
Chorus
For these are my mountains
And this is my glen
The braes of my childhood
Will know me again
No land's ever claimed me
Tho'far I did roam
For these are my mountains
And I'm going home
The burn by the road sings
At my going by
The whaup o’er the head wings
With welcoming cry
The loch where the scart flies
At last I can see
Its here where my heart lies
It’s here I’ll be free
Chorus
Kind faces will greet me
And welcome me in
And how they will greet me
My ain kith and kin
This night round the ingle
Old songs will be sung
At last I'll be hearing
My ain mother tongue
Chorus
#Twa Recruitin Sergeants#
Twa recruiting sergeants came fra the Black Watch
Tae markets and fairs, some recruits for tae catch
But a' that they 'listed was forty and twa:
Enlist my bonnie laddie an' come awa
Chorus:
And it's over the mountain and over the main
Through Gibralter, to France and Spain
Pit a feather tae your bonnet, and a kilt aboon your knee
Enlist my bonnie laddie and come awa with me.
Oh laddie ye dinna ken the danger that yer in
If yer horses was to fleg, and yer owsen was to rin
This greedy ole farmer, he wouldna pay yer fee
Sae list my bonnie laddie and come awa wi' me
Chorus
With your tattie porin's and yer meal and kale,
Yer soor sowan' soorin's and yer ill-brewed ale,
Yer buttermilk, yer whey, and yer breid fired raw
Sae list my bonnie laddie and come awa
Chorus
And its into the barn and out o' the byre
This ole farmer, he thinks ye never tire
It's slavery a' yer life, a life o' low degree
Sae list my bonnie laddie and come awa with me
Chorus
O laddie if ye've got a sweetheart an' a bairn,
Ye'll easily get rid o' that ill-spun yarn
Twa rattles o' the drum aye and that'll pay it a'
Sae list my bonnie laddie and come awa.
Chorus
Raw ver. Will do some edit next time.
