Freedom Come Aa Ye

'Freedom Come Aa Ye' is a Scots sang componed bi Hamish Henderson in 1960. It is set tae the muisic o 'The Bloody Fields of Flanders'.

It is whiles proponed as a naitional sang for Scotland, maistlins bi fowk wi a inklin tae socialism (alang wi Robert Burns' 'A Man's A Man'). The sang is obviously socialist, mentionin John Maclean an appealin for unity o the warld's wirkin fowk agin weir (the mak o the 'Internationale').

Hamish Henderson componed it as a sang agin Apartheid, an it was takken up as a merchin sang bi the anti-Polaris merchers in the 1960s. Awbeit the muisic is grundit on The Bloody Fields of Flanders bi John McLellan Dunoon, it isna haley the same, an is unco knacketie. Maist o the lines hae sax beats, but the seicont line o ilka fower has seiven, makkin twinty-five awthegither in ilka fowersome. Whan ye're merchin, this odd nummer maks ye stairt aff the seicont hauf o the verse on th' ithir fit. This gies the seicont hauf o the verse a lift, an is jist the dab fur markin time an whilin awa the oors on a lang merch.

Lyrics

eedit

(pit tae the RRSSC)

Roch the win i the clear day's dawin,
Blaws the cloods heilster-gowdie ower the bay,
But thare's mair nor a roch win blawin
Throu the Great Glen o the warl the day.
It's a thocht that wad gar oor roddans —
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 oor bonnie callants
Merch tae war whan oor braggarts crousely craw;
Nor wee weans frae pitheid an clachan
Murn the ships sailin doun the Broomielaw.
Broken faimlies in launs we'v harriet
Will curse "Scotland the Brave" nae mair, nae mair;
Black an white ane-til-ither marriet
Mak the vile barracks o thair maisters bare.
Sae come aa ye at hame wi freedom!
Niver heed whit the houdies croak for Doom;
In yer hoose aa the bairns o Aidam
Will fin breid, barley-bree an paintit room.
Whan Maclean meets wi's freens in Springburn
Aa thae roses an geans will turn tae blume
An a black laud frae yont Nyanga
Dings the fell gallows o the burghers doun.