[Jennifer_SFBA]

The Corries (Ronnie Browne and Roy Williamson) sang "The Flower of Scotland," provided free on the web, on recorded video ,on location, in the Scottish countryside in 1968 and in concert in 1986. I recomend listening to the 1968 version first that was recorded when The Corries were first starting out on their professional traditional Celtic folk music career.

There is some background commentary about the song, "The Flower of Scotland," at

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/flowerofscotland.html

The power and fervor that is in the four lines I've quoted below is the high point of the song for me, and expresses truly my hope for America too.

Those days are passed now
And in the past they must remain
But we can still rise now
And be a nation again

The 1968 and 1986 versions of "The Flower of Scotland" are at the following website:

http://www.corries.com/multimedia.php

The Flower of Scotland

Words and music: Roy Williamson (1936-l990)

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
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

[FDRfollower]

I prefer Robbert Burns'

A Man's A Man For A' That

1795

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 guinea's stamp,
The Man's the gowd for a' that.

What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an' a that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine;
A Man's a Man for a' that:
For a' that, and a' that,
Their tinsel show, an' a' that;
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that.

Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord,
Wha struts, an' 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 ribband, star, an' a' that:
The man o' 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 abon his might,
Gude 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 rank 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, an' a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
It's coming yet for a' that,
That Man to Man, the world o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that.

It was especially poinient when it was sung at the opening of the Scottish National Parliament while Queen Elizabeast and Prince Philip had to sit and listen. They didn't look very happy!! :rolling:

[Jennifer_SFBA]

Thank you for posting that, FDRfollower. That was wonderful. "A Man's A Man" is one of my favorites too. I have that song on the Corries CD album, "The Corries Live At The Royal Lyceum Theatre Sound The Pibroch." It's the first song on side 2.

I think one of the very best examples of a real, historical, traditional folk song is, "Shoals O'Herrin" that is on "The Corrie Folk Trio and Paddie Bell The Promise Of The Day" album. Do you know that one?


Wi' our nets and gear we're farin'
On the wild and wistful ocean
It's there on the deep that we harvest and reap oor nets
As we hunt the bonny shoals o' herrin'


T'was a fine and a pleasant summer's day
Outta Yarmouth harbour I was faring
As a cabin boy on a sailing lugger
We were off to hunt the shoals o' herrin'


Now the work was hard and the hours were long
And the treatment surely took some bearin'
There was little kindness and the kicks were many
As we hunted for the shoals o' herrin'


Now we fished the Swarth and the Broken Bank
I was cook and I'd a quarter's sharin'
And I used to sleep standin' on my feet
And I'd dream about the shoals o' herrin'


Well we left the home ground in the month of June
And for canny Shiels we were bearin'
Wi' a hundred cran of the silver darlin's
That we'd taken from the shoals o' herrin'


Through the stormy seas and the living gale
Just to earn your daily bread you're darin'
From the Dover straits to the Faroe Islands
As you're following the shoals of herrin'


Now you're up on deck, you're a fisherman
You can swear and show a manly bearin'
Take you turn on deck wi' the other fellows
As you're following the shoal's o' herrin'


Night and day we're farin'
Come winter wind or winter gale
Sweat or cold, growing up, growing old and dying
As you hunt the bonny shoals o' herrin'

As for Robert Burns, he sure took some awful criticism for "Ye Jacobites By Name." People thought that he had taken the side of the English. What he actually did was to criticize the prosecution of that war that Scotland lost and with sure dire consequences not to speak of the English outlawing of the Scottish bag pipes; calling them, "The pipes of war."


Ye Jacobites by name, lend an ear, give an ear!
Ye Jacobites by name, lend an ear,
Ye Jacobites by name,
Your fautes I will proclaim,
Your doctrines I maun blame -
you shall hear!You shall hear
Your doctrines I maun blame -
you shall hear!

What is Right, and what is wrang, by the law, by the law?
What is Right, and what is Wrang, by the law?
What is Right, and what is Wrang?
A short sword and a lang,
A weak arm and a strang, for to draw!
For to draw,
The weak arm and the long for to draw

Ye Jacobites by name, lend an ear, give an ear!
Ye Jacobites by name, lend an ear,
Ye Jacobites by name,
Your fautes I will proclaim,
Your doctrines I maun blame -
you shall hear!You shall hear
Your doctrines I maun blame -
you shall hear!

What makes heroic strife, famed afar, famed afar?
What makes heroic strife famed afar?
What makes heroic strife ?
To whet th' assassin's knife,
Or hunt a Parent's life, wi bluidy war!
bluidy war
or haunt a parents life wi' bloody war.

Ye Jacobites by name, lend an ear, give an ear!
Ye Jacobites by name, lend an ear,
Ye Jacobites by name,
Your fautes I will proclaim,
Your doctrines I maun blame -
you shall hear!You shall hear
Your doctrines I maun blame -
you shall hear!

Then let your schemes alone, in the State, in the State!
Then let your schemes alone, in the State!
Then let your schemes alone,
Adore the rising sun,
And leave a man undone, to his fate!
to his fate.
And leave a man undone tae his fate.