Freedom Come-All-Ye
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"Freedom Come-All-Ye" is a song written by Hamish Henderson, the Scottish poet, songwriter, and intellectual. It is written in the Scots Language. "Freedom Come-All-Ye", one of Henderson's most important songs, gives a non-romantic, revisionist view of the role of the Scots in the world at the time it was written. It describes a wind of change blowing through Scotland and the world at large, sweeping away exploitation and imperialism. It renounces the tradition of the Scottish soldier both as imperial cannon-fodder and colonial oppressor, and ends with a vision of a future global society which is multiracial and just.
The song was written in 1960, to an adaptation of the First World War pipe march "The Bloody Fields of Flanders" composed by John McLellan DCM (Dunoon), which Henderson first heard played on the Anzio beachhead. The lyrics were written following a visit and discussions with Ken Goldstein, an American researcher at the School of Scottish Studies, who had enjoyed Henderson's rendition of the tune.[1] It was subsequently adopted by Glasgow Peace Marchers CND demonstrators, and the anti-Polaris campaign. A product of the Scottish Folk revival, and originally a 1960s protest song, it is still popular in Scotland and overseas. Henderson described it as "expressing my hopes for Scotland, and for the survival of humanity on this beleaguered planet."
It is viewed by many as Scotland's 'alternative' national anthem (although there is no 'official' Scottish anthem). However, Henderson never wanted it to become as he felt that part of its strength lies in the fact that it is an alternative, an "International Anthem".[2]
[edit] Lyrics
The lyrics are written in the Scots language (not misspelled words).
- Roch the wind in the clear day's dawin
- Blaws the cloods heilster-gowdie owre the bay
- But there's mair nor a roch wind blawin
- Thro the Great Glen o the warld the day
- It's a thocht that wad gar oor rottans
- Aa thae rogues that gang gallus fresh an gay
- Tak the road an seek ither loanins
- Wi thair ill-ploys tae sport an play
- Nae mair will our bonnie callants
- Merch tae war when oor braggarts crousely craw
- Nor wee weans frae pitheid an clachan
- Mourn the ships sailin doun the Broomielaw
- Broken faimlies in lands we've hairriet
- Will curse 'Scotlan the Brave' nae mair, nae mair
- Black an white ane-til-ither mairriet
- Mak the vile barracks o thair maisters bare
- Sae come aa ye at hame wi freedom
- Never heed whit the houdies croak for Doom
- In yer hoos aa the bairns o Adam
- Will find breid, barley-bree an paintit rooms
- When Maclean meets wi's friens in Springburn
- Aa thae roses an geans will turn tae blume
- An yon black boy frae yont Nyanga
- Dings the fell gallows o the burghers doun.
The phrase "come aa ye" is the "come all ye" of the title. Some words are similar (blaws, mak, tak, sailin, blume for: blows, make, take, sailing, bloom). However, other words are more obscure (owre, nae, frae, tae, thae, an, yer, thair, doun, wi, merch, mair, hoos for: over, no, from, to, thy, and, your, their, down, with, march, more, house).
[edit] References
- ^ Heywood, Peter, "Hamish Henderson" in The Living Tradition", Issue 32, April/May 1999, Online: http://www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/inart486.htm Accessed: 01 January 2008
- ^ Heywood
