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

(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.