Flower of Scotland
Encyclopedia
Flower of Scotland is a Scottish
song, used frequently at special occasions and sporting events. Although there is no official national anthem of Scotland
, Flower of Scotland is one of a number of songs which unofficially fulfil this role, along with the older Scots Wha Hae
, Scotland the Brave
and Highland Cathedral
. It was written by Roy Williamson
of the folk group The Corries
, and presented in 1967, and refers to the victory of the Scots, led by Robert the Bruce
, over England
's Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn
in 1314.
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
To think again.
2. The hills are bare now,
And autumn leaves lie thick and still
O'er land that is lost now,
Which those so dearly held
That stood against him,
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
To think again.
3. Those days are past 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
To think again.
4. 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
To think again.
Whan will we see
Your like again,
That focht and dee'd for,
Your wee bit Hill an Glen,
An stuid agin him,
Prood Edward's Airmy,
An sent him hamewart,
Tae think again.
2. The Hills is bare nou,
An Autumn leafs
Lies thick an still,
Ower land that is lost nou,
That thae sae dearly held,
That stuid agin him,
Prood Edward's Airmy,
An sent him hamewart,
Tae think again.
3. Thir days is past nou,
An in the past
They maun remain,
But we can aye rise nou,
An be the nation again,
That stuid agin him,
Prood Edward's Airmy,
An sent him hamewart,
Tae think again.
4. O Flouer o Scotland,
Whan will we see
Your like again,
That focht an dee'd for,
Your wee bit Hill an Glen,
An stuid agin him,
Prood Edward's Airmy,
An sent him hamewart,
Tae think again.
cuin a chì sinn
an seòrsa laoich
a sheas gu bàs 'son
am bileag feòir is fraoich,
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
's a ruaig e dhachaidh
air chaochladh smaoin?
2. Na cnuic tha lomnochd
's tha duilleach Foghair
mar bhrat air làr,
am fearann caillte
dan tug na seòid ud gràdh,
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
's a ruaig e dhachaigh
air chaochladh smaoin.
3. Tha 'n eachdraidh dùinte
ach air dìochuimhne
chan fheum i bhith,
is faodaidh sinn èirigh
gu bhith nar Rìoghachd a-rìs
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
's a ruaig e dhachaidh
air chaochladh smaoin.
4. O Fhlùir na h-Alba,
cuin a chì sinn
an seòrsa laoich
a sheas gu bàs 'son
am bileag feòir is fraoich,
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
's a ruaig e dhachaidh
air chaochladh smaoin?
, ever since the winger, Billy Steele, encouraged his team-mates to sing it on the victorious Lions
tour of South Africa in 1974. The song was adopted as the pre-game anthem during the deciding match of the 1990 Five Nations Championship
between Scotland
and England
, which Scotland won 13–7 to win the Grand Slam
. The Scottish Football Association
adopted "Flower of Scotland" as its pre-game national anthem in 1997 although it was first used by them in 1993,. Usually only the first and third verses are sung. The song was used as the victory anthem of Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games
in 2010
replacing Scotland the Brave
.
The tune was originally composed on the Northumbrian smallpipes
, which play in D and have the benefit of keys on the chanter to achieve a greater range of notes.
Ewan McGregor
performed the song in Magadan
in 2004 for the filming of the TV show Long Way Round
journey.
In July 2006, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
conducted an online poll (publicised by Reporting Scotland
) in which voters could choose a national anthem from one of five candidates. 10,000 people took part in the poll in which Flower of Scotland came out the winner. The results were as follows:
Scottish folk metal band Alestorm
have performed a cover of it live and recorded it, which is on their album Captain Morgan's Revenge
. In addition, the Canadian Scottish-influenced Celtic Punk
band The Real McKenzies have included the song on the album "Loch'd & Loaded" as well a staple in their live performance among many other traditional Scottish ballads.
A version of this song entitled "Twigg of Scotland" is sung by supporters of Shamrock Rovers
, an Irish football team, in tribute to their Scottish player, Gary Twigg
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
song, used frequently at special occasions and sporting events. Although there is no official national anthem of Scotland
National Anthem of Scotland
There is no official national anthem of Scotland. However, a number of songs are used as de facto Scottish anthems, most notably Flower of Scotland and Scotland the Brave...
, Flower of Scotland is one of a number of songs which unofficially fulfil this role, along with the older Scots Wha Hae
Scots Wha Hae
Scots Wha Hae is a patriotic song of Scotland which served for centuries as an unofficial national anthem of the country, but has lately been largely supplanted by Scotland the Brave and Flower of Scotland....
, Scotland the Brave
Scotland the Brave
"Scotland the Brave" is a Scottish patriotic song. It was one of several songs considered an unofficial national anthem of Scotland.Scotland the Brave is also the authorised pipe band march of The British Columbia Dragoons of the Canadian Forces, and is played during the Pass in Review at Friday...
and Highland Cathedral
Highland Cathedral
Highland Cathedral is a popular melody for the great highland bagpipe.This melody was composed by German musicians Ulrich Roever and Michael Korb in 1982 for a Highland games held in Germany. It has been proposed as the Scottish national anthem to replace unofficial anthems Scotland the Brave...
. It was written by Roy Williamson
Roy Williamson
Roy Murdoch Buchanan Williamson was a Scottish songwriter and folk musician, most notably with The Corries.-Early life:...
of the folk group The Corries
The Corries
The Corries were a Scottish folk group that emerged from the Scottish folk revival of the early 1960s. Although the group was a trio in the early days, it was as the partnership of Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne that it is best known.-Early years:...
, and presented in 1967, and refers to the victory of the Scots, led by Robert the Bruce
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
, over England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
's Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn
Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence...
in 1314.
English
1. 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
To think again.
2. The hills are bare now,
And autumn leaves lie thick and still
O'er land that is lost now,
Which those so dearly held
That stood against him,
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
To think again.
3. Those days are past 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
To think again.
4. 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
To think again.
Scots
1. O Flouer o Scotland,Whan will we see
Your like again,
That focht and dee'd for,
Your wee bit Hill an Glen,
An stuid agin him,
Prood Edward's Airmy,
An sent him hamewart,
Tae think again.
2. The Hills is bare nou,
An Autumn leafs
Lies thick an still,
Ower land that is lost nou,
That thae sae dearly held,
That stuid agin him,
Prood Edward's Airmy,
An sent him hamewart,
Tae think again.
3. Thir days is past nou,
An in the past
They maun remain,
But we can aye rise nou,
An be the nation again,
That stuid agin him,
Prood Edward's Airmy,
An sent him hamewart,
Tae think again.
4. O Flouer o Scotland,
Whan will we see
Your like again,
That focht an dee'd for,
Your wee bit Hill an Glen,
An stuid agin him,
Prood Edward's Airmy,
An sent him hamewart,
Tae think again.
Scottish Gaelic
1. O Fhlùir na h-Alba,cuin a chì sinn
an seòrsa laoich
a sheas gu bàs 'son
am bileag feòir is fraoich,
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
's a ruaig e dhachaidh
air chaochladh smaoin?
2. Na cnuic tha lomnochd
's tha duilleach Foghair
mar bhrat air làr,
am fearann caillte
dan tug na seòid ud gràdh,
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
's a ruaig e dhachaigh
air chaochladh smaoin.
3. Tha 'n eachdraidh dùinte
ach air dìochuimhne
chan fheum i bhith,
is faodaidh sinn èirigh
gu bhith nar Rìoghachd a-rìs
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
's a ruaig e dhachaidh
air chaochladh smaoin.
4. O Fhlùir na h-Alba,
cuin a chì sinn
an seòrsa laoich
a sheas gu bàs 'son
am bileag feòir is fraoich,
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
's a ruaig e dhachaidh
air chaochladh smaoin?
Popular use
The song has been used by as a National Anthem by the Scotland national rugby union teamScotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
, ever since the winger, Billy Steele, encouraged his team-mates to sing it on the victorious Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
tour of South Africa in 1974. The song was adopted as the pre-game anthem during the deciding match of the 1990 Five Nations Championship
1990 Five Nations Championship
The 1990 Five Nations Championship was the 61st series of the Five Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition between the major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams. The tournament consisted of ten matches held between 16 January and 24 March 1990.The tournament was the 61st...
between Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
and England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, which Scotland won 13–7 to win the Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
. The Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
adopted "Flower of Scotland" as its pre-game national anthem in 1997 although it was first used by them in 1993,. Usually only the first and third verses are sung. The song was used as the victory anthem of Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
in 2010
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
replacing Scotland the Brave
Scotland the Brave
"Scotland the Brave" is a Scottish patriotic song. It was one of several songs considered an unofficial national anthem of Scotland.Scotland the Brave is also the authorised pipe band march of The British Columbia Dragoons of the Canadian Forces, and is played during the Pass in Review at Friday...
.
The tune was originally composed on the Northumbrian smallpipes
Northumbrian smallpipes
The Northumbrian smallpipes are bellows-blown bagpipes from the North East of England.In a survey of the bagpipes in the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford University, the organologist Anthony Baines wrote: It is perhaps the most civilized of the bagpipes, making no attempt to go farther than the...
, which play in D and have the benefit of keys on the chanter to achieve a greater range of notes.
Ewan McGregor
Ewan McGregor
Ewan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor. He has had success in mainstream, indie, and art house films. McGregor is perhaps best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting , young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy , and poet Christian in the...
performed the song in Magadan
Magadan
Magadan is a port town on the Sea of Okhotsk and gateway to the Kolyma region. It is the administrative center of Magadan Oblast , in the Russian Far East. Founded in 1929 on the site of an earlier settlement from the 1920s, it was granted the status of town in 1939...
in 2004 for the filming of the TV show Long Way Round
Long Way Round
Long Way Round is a documentary television series, DVD set and book documenting the journey of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman from London to New York on motorcycles...
journey.
In July 2006, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra is Scotland's national symphony orchestra. Based in Glasgow, the 89-member professional orchestra also regularly performs in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, and abroad. Formed in 1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company has performed full-time since 1950,...
conducted an online poll (publicised by Reporting Scotland
Reporting Scotland
Reporting Scotland is BBC Scotland's national television news programme. The programme first aired on 1 April 1968, with three main presenters - the most famous being Mary Marquis...
) in which voters could choose a national anthem from one of five candidates. 10,000 people took part in the poll in which Flower of Scotland came out the winner. The results were as follows:
| Tune | Votes (%) |
|---|---|
| Flower of Scotland | 41% |
| Scotland the Brave Scotland the Brave "Scotland the Brave" is a Scottish patriotic song. It was one of several songs considered an unofficial national anthem of Scotland.Scotland the Brave is also the authorised pipe band march of The British Columbia Dragoons of the Canadian Forces, and is played during the Pass in Review at Friday... |
29% |
| Highland Cathedral Highland Cathedral Highland Cathedral is a popular melody for the great highland bagpipe.This melody was composed by German musicians Ulrich Roever and Michael Korb in 1982 for a Highland games held in Germany. It has been proposed as the Scottish national anthem to replace unofficial anthems Scotland the Brave... |
16% |
| Is There for Honest Poverty | 7% |
| Scots Wha Hae Scots Wha Hae Scots Wha Hae is a patriotic song of Scotland which served for centuries as an unofficial national anthem of the country, but has lately been largely supplanted by Scotland the Brave and Flower of Scotland.... |
6% |
Scottish folk metal band Alestorm
Alestorm
Alestorm is a folk metal band from Perth, Scotland. Their music is characterized by a pirate theme, and as a result have been dubbed a "Pirate metal" band at a popular heavy metal related website....
have performed a cover of it live and recorded it, which is on their album Captain Morgan's Revenge
Captain Morgan's Revenge
-Personnel:* Christopher Bowes - Lead/Backing Vocals; Keyboards; Tin Whistle* Gavin Harper - Lead/Rhythm/Acoustic Guitars; Jaw Harp; Additional Drums; Tamborine; Backing Vocals* Dani Evans - Bass Guitars* Ian Wilson - PercussionWith:...
. In addition, the Canadian Scottish-influenced Celtic Punk
Celtic punk
Celtic punk is punk rock mixed with traditional Celtic music. The genre was founded in the 1980s by The Pogues, a band of punk musicians in London who celebrated their Irish heritage. Celtic punk bands often play covers of traditional Irish folk and political songs, as well as original compositions...
band The Real McKenzies have included the song on the album "Loch'd & Loaded" as well a staple in their live performance among many other traditional Scottish ballads.
A version of this song entitled "Twigg of Scotland" is sung by supporters of Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers F.C.
Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...
, an Irish football team, in tribute to their Scottish player, Gary Twigg
Gary Twigg
Gary Twigg is a Scottish footballer who currently plays for Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland.-Emerging Talent:Twigg began his career with Irish Side club Emerging Talent having graduated through the youth system...
.
See also
- Amhrán na bhFiannAmhrán na bhFiannis the national anthem of Ireland. The music was composed by Peadar Kearney and Patrick Heeney, and the original English lyrics were authored by Kearney. It is sung in the Irish language translation made by Liam Ó Rinn. The song has three verses, but the national anthem consists of the chorus only...
- Auld lang syneAuld Lang Syne"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song . It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight...
- Cwm RhonddaCwm RhonddaCwm Rhondda, the Welsh name for the Rhondda Valley, is a popular hymn tune written by John Hughes and first performed in 1907. It is often erroneously called Bread of Heaven and is usually used in English as a setting for William Williams's text Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah , originally...
- Sosban FachSosban FachSosban Fach is a traditional Welsh folk song. It is one of the best-known and most often sung songs in the Welsh language....
- Ireland's CallIreland's CallIreland's Call is a song commissioned by the Irish Rugby Football Union for use at international Rugby Union fixtures.It has since also been adopted by the Irish Hockey, Cricket, Rugby League and A1GP teams.- Overview :...
- The Fields of AthenryThe Fields of Athenry"The Fields of Athenry" is an Irish folk ballad set during the Great Irish Famine about a fictional man named Michael from near Athenry in County Galway who has been sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay, Australia, for stealing food for his starving family...
- Hen Wlad Fy NhadauHen Wlad Fy NhadauHen Wlad Fy Nhadau is the national anthem of Wales. The title – taken from the first words of the song – means "Old Land of My Fathers", usually rendered in English as simply "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, both residents...
- La MarseillaiseLa Marseillaise"La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song, originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792. The French National Convention adopted it as the Republic's anthem in 1795...
- Waltzing MatildaWaltzing Matilda"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's most widely known bush ballad. A country folk song, the song has been referred to as "the unofficial national anthem of Australia"....
- Swing Low, Sweet ChariotSwing Low, Sweet Chariot"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a historic African-American spiritual. The first recording was in 1909, by the Fisk Jubilee Singers of Fisk University....
External links
- Flower of Scotland – The website "Cantaria" has a page dedicated to the song, featuring the lyrics and an MP3 file of the song sung by Wild Mountain Thyme.
- The Flower of Scotland – The website "Modern History Sourcebook" also has a page on the song, featuring midi files.