Scottish
Song Lyrics
Scotland
the Brave
Hark
when the night is falling
Hear! 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.
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 for ever,
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 maiden's eyes.
Towering
in gallant fame etc.
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.
Towering
in gallant fame etc.
(Scotland
the Brave)
An ancient pipe tune and stirring words from the heart of Scotland.
Scots
Wha Hae
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!
(Scots
Wha Hae)
The words were written by Robert Burns. The song refers to the
battle at Bannockburn in 1314 between Robert the Bruce and Edward
Il of England when, under Bruce's leadership, Scotland regained
her freedom.
Caledonia
I
don't know if you can see
The changes that have come over me
In these last few days I've been afraid
That I might drift away
So I've been telling old stories, singing songs
That make me think about where I came from
And that's the reason why I seem
So far away today
Oh,
but let me tell you that I love you
That I think about you all the time
Caledonia you're calling me
And now I'm going home
If I should become a stranger
You know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia's been everything
I've ever had
Now
I have moved and I've kept on moving
Proved the points that I needed proving
Lost the friends that I needed losing
Found others on the way
I have kissed the ladies and left them crying
Stolen dreams, yes there's no denying
I have traveled hard with coattails flying
Somewhere in the wind
(Chorus)
Now I'm sitting here before the fire
The empty room, the forest choir
The flames that could not get any higher
They've withered now they've gone
But I'm steady thinking my way is clear
And I know what I will do tomorrow
When the hands are shaken and the kisses flow
Then I will disappear
Song
by Dougie Maclean
Copyright 1982 Plant Life Music Ltd.
Scottish
Soldier
There
was a soldier, a Scottish soldier
who wandered far away and soldiered far away
there
was none bolder, with good broad shoulders,
he fought in many a fray and fought and won
He's
seen the glory, he's told the story
of battles glorious and deeds victorious
But
now he's sighing his heart is crying
to leave these green hills of Tyroll
chorus:
Because these green hills are not highland hills
or the Islands hills their not my lands hills,
as 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, on that dark land
He
called his piper, his trusty piper
and bade him sound away, a pibroch sad to play
upon
a hillside but Scottish hillside
not on these green hills of Tyrol
chorus
Because these green....... etc
And
now this soldier this Scottish soldier
who wanders far no more, and soldiers far no more
now
on a hillside, a Scottish hillside
you'll see a piper play this soldier home
he's
seen the glory, he's told the story
of battles glorious and deeds victorious
but
he will cease now, he is at peace now
far from these green hills of Tyroll
chorus
Because these green....... etc
repeat
chorus..
The
Skye Boat Song
Speed
bonnie boat like a bird on the wing,
Onward,
the sailors cry.
Carry the lad that's born to be king,
over
the sea to Skye.
Loud
the winds howl,
loud
the waves roar,
Thunderclaps
rend the air,
Baffled,
our foes stand by the shore,
Follow
they will not dare.
Chorus:
Speed bonnie boat like a bird etc.
Though
the waves leap,
soft
shall ye sleep,
Ocean's
a royal bed.
Rock'd in the deep,
Flora
will keep watch o'er your weary head.
Chorus:
Speed bonnie boat like a bird etc.
Burned
are our homes,
exile
and death,
Scattered
the loyal man.
Yet ere the sword,
cool
in the sheath,
Charlie
will come again.
Chorus:
Speed bonnie boat like a bird etc.
(The
Skye Boat Song)
Commemorating his escape from these shores when Flora Macdonald
took Bonnie Prince Charlie, disguised as a serving. maid, from
Uist to Skye in a small boat. Flora is buried at Kilmuir on
Skye. Prince Charlie near Rome where he was born.
The
Dark Isle
As
mists of the evening creep over the hill
And the sea round about her is silent and still
Forbidden dark island so dreary and cold
What mysterious tales can your black rocks unfold
While fishermen row past your dark ocean shore
And old wives are spinning and praying once more
No falsehood to dread no malice you hold
You are sworn to your secrets of stories untold
The
old men will tell not a bird or a nest
At times not a seabird will stop there to rest
But you lie there in mist and cold watery waves
No harm is yet spoken no evil you show
T'is sacred you stand to folks long ago
No curses come from you or to you are shown
Just a lonely dark island a mysterious throne
But
tho' they've not seen they'll tell what they know
Of kings and of princes who died long ago
Who rest in your coves and still to this day
They are seen in your shadows and thru the sea spray
So toast to yon mountains and summits of blue
And here's to the glens and the meadows of dew
It's not of these hills or valleys I dream
But the lonely dark island the home of the kings.
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