Song has played a long and honourable part in Scottish life for
centuries and judging by visitor numbers is very popular with Flag
viewers. Our features Sing A Sang At Least and The Rebel
Ceilidh Song Book will be joined in 2006 by The Blue Toon Song
Book. These are mainly songs which have found a permanent place in
the Scottish song tradition, but especially for St Andrew's Day 2005,
this column brings you a brand new song from the pen of Cumbernauld's
Bill Mejury - Independence At Hame :-
INDEPENDENCE AT HAME
Come all you true Scots folk and listen while
I sing
The love of one's country is a natural thing
It does make your heart proud and can set it aflame
So why don't you vote for Independence at hame.
My hame is in Scotland t'was there I was
weaned
My name is my birthright and I have a great dream
To stand as a freeman not servile in shame
That's why I'm in favour of Independence at hame.
In the days of our heroes Wallace and Bruce
They valued our freedom, they made the English vamoose
But then along came the Union and Robert Burns told
How our freedom was bargained for base English gold.
We have a false parliament it has no real
power
To put ourselves foremost our reps make us glower
Devolution has fooled us, it should not remain
It's a halfway house only and gives us no worthy gain.
Our time it is now, Scots we can turn this
around
Through self-determination our future is found
We can take our place in the bigger wide world
As an Independent nation with our Saltires unfurled.
So come all you true Scots folk and listen
while I sing
The love of one's country is a natural thing
It does make your heart proud and can set it aflame
So why don't you vote for Independence at hame.
© Bill Mejury
The lyrics are shaped to fit the melody of Dominic
Behan's The Patriot Game.
As background to the song Bill Mejury wrote to The Flag:-
"It is difficult nowadays to write a fresh song
supportive of Scottish Independence from England and Wales. A few have
appeared in the past encouraging a passion for our pre-union status in view
of the fact that we all too often get a raw deal from the Westminster
Government, concerning all kinds of important issues, locally and within our
country at large.... At best, it's jobs for the Westminster
boys, at worst it may be a clear case of hypocrisy for have they not also
long since foisted upon us weapons of mass destruction which we Scots really
do not want to house.... If the majority of we Scots still don't want
this so-called nuclear deterrent on our shores, and want to make the most of
our natural resources be they mineral or otherwise, or made or grown by
Scots themselves, and to give our children, and our children's
children
the full benefit of our own enterprise in what is one of the loveliest,
unspoiled scenic and history-laden countries in the world, then all we have
to do is to have confidence in ourselves and in our own country to go out
and vote for Independence at Hame when the next general election comes
around! To this end, by way of encouragement, I offer up my song
lyrics to whomsoever might think about recording them for the good of
Scotland."
If any Flag visitor is interested in recording the song
please contact Bill Mejury, 9E Darroch Way, Cumbernauld, G67 1PY.
Oatmeal has long played a vital role in Scotland's diet
and our recipe for Andermas reflects this - Oatmeal Biscuits is just the
ticket for St Andrews Day.
Oatmeal Biscuits
Ingredients:
5oz (125g) self-raising flour; 5oz (125g) oatmeal; pinch of
salt; 3oz (75g)
caster sugar; 3oz (75g) margarine: 3 tablespoons milk
Method: Mix the dry ingredients: rub in the margarine. Add
milk to make a stiff dough. Roll out thinly and cut into rounds. Place
on greased baking tray. Bake in a moderate oven 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4
for about 15 minutes.
Helpful Tip - Do not store biscuits with cakes as they lose their
crispness.
