Who doesn’t love a good sing-song? And we’re lucky in Scotland that we have a back catalogue of folk songs that will easily have you stamping your feet. HarperCollins have just released this dinky delight of a pocketbook full of our very best, and here we reproduce Hamish Henderson’s legendary ‘Freedom Come All Ye’.

Extract taken from Scottish Folk Songs
Published by HarperCollins

Freedom Come All Ye

Roch the wind in the clear day’s dawin
Blaws the cloods heelster-gowdie ow’r the bay,
But there’s mair nor a roch wind blawin
Through the great glen o’ the warld the day.
It’s a thocht that will gar oor rottans
– A’ they rogues that gang gallus, fresh and gay –
Tak the road, and seek ither loanins
For their ill ploys, tae sport and play

Nae mair will the bonnie callants
Mairch tae war, when oor braggarts crousely craw,
Nor wee weans frae pit-heid an’ clachan
Mourn the ships sailin’ doon the Broomielaw.
Broken faimlies in lands we’ve herriet
Will curse Scotland the Brave nae mair, nae mair;
Black an’ white, ane til ither mairriet
Mak’ the vile barracks o’ their maisters bare.

O come all ye at hame wi’ freedom,
Never heed whit the hoodies croak for doom;
In your hoose a’ the bairns o’ Adam
Can fi nd breid, barley bree an’ painted room.
When Maclean meets wi’s freens in Springburn
A’ the roses an’ geans will turn tae bloom,
And a black boy frae yont Nyanga
Dings the fell gallows o’ the burghers doon.

Have a listen to this version of ‘Freedom Come All Ye’:

Scottish Folk Songs is published by HarperCollins, priced £6.99