Correcting Scotland’s history mistakes

 

So often, so many mistakes and errors of Scotland’s recorded histories are either ignored, or over written by the powers that be. In encyclopaedias the words Britain and England are conflated constantly – as they are often for Americans. Interchangeable terms, who don’t know their geography.

 

In the National,10 Feb 2026, there was an article on a book entitled: 

Queen James, the Life and Loves of Britain’s first King. 

 

Error! Britain did not come into existence until 1707 after the Union of the Parliaments.

James Stewart was King of the 'kingdom of Scotland' and the 'kingdom of England' - from 1603 -   after the Union of the Crowns.  James worked to encourage a Britain, to secure his position on the English throne no doubt (after the death fo Elizabeth Tudor of England. 

 

The Scottish Parliament had sat for 200 years before this union – latterly sitting in St Giles.  

When I look back and read of the Scotland before union 1707, the once independent Scotland is a different country. Its a place of a confident trading nation, with the exchange of people and ideas across the continents – to Flanders Japan, the Americas. Historian Tom Devine says that Scotland has for centuries has long been an outward looking country. 

 

The Wars of Independence with Wallace and Bruce 1314, were in fact Wars of Succession, ad civil wars. Because before this Scotland had always been an independent nation! Scotland’s first king was Kenneth I was King of dal Raida (841-850) and King of the Picts (848-858)

From the time of the Scottish Reformation (1560- 1640)  Scotland’s scholars went to Paris university to study and to teach. Education was greatly encouraged for all young boys. Form 1750 to 1790 there was the Scottish enlightenment. Scots were part of the American founding fathers.

 

The Big Questions facing Scotland today are – is this is a union of two kingdoms supposedly, there therefore must be a route out of this failing union. 

Its time we pointed out these important and crucial errors, which happen constantly. Ignorance of the past does not help our views of the present realities or our futures. There is not enough history taught in schools across Britain -  compared to elsewhere. So that both sides of the border, people have more knowledge and understanding of the true histories of both Scotland and England.

Kenneth I

Olde England as Britain?

 

I picked up a Sunday Times magazine recently – and there was an article with the headline In Search of Olde England - under a photo of Olde England Morris dancers, which reviewed the book - Finding Albion Myth, Folklore, and the Quest for a Hidden Britain by Zakia Sewell. Sewell writes that she is the “least likely person to go searching for Olde England, or to give it its grown up name Albion.” 

She speaks of the ‘stale history” of Albion or England as Britain – but is she writing of an unreal “Britain” or the 4 nations of the UK? Perhaps stale because this 'Britain' she searches for is not real, not a country with a defined identity, and has no hinterland. Britain is actually four ancient nations!

I looked up the meaning of ‘Albion’, which is supposed to stand for ‘Britain’. Its no wonder many are confused, the terms England as Britain are interchangeable and the same. (On the very same page a respected Irish author spoke of Elizabeth as the Queen of England!) 

Most Americans interchange England and Britain, as meaning the same nation. Its hardly surprising as encyclopaedias, radio, tv and media articles and broadcasts do the very same thing! Where does this leave the other three nations of the UK? As mere regions of England/ Britain?  

Where on earth do the ancient nations of Scotland, Ireland and Wales fit into this narrative - with not one mention, as if their contribution, language, culture and music are of no significance. 

 

Sewell is searching for Britain as England’s “stale old island story” 

She feels there is wisdom to be found in tradition. In the Hebrides she visited Imbole, a Celtic festival to mark the winter solstice and spring equinox. She celebrated Samhaim in haunted York, and attended the Notting hill carnival.

Sewell’s love of urban music drew her to a career as a presenter on Radio Six music. Her father is Welsh and her mother from the Caribbean. 

She wants to counter balance the far rights use of the English flag, to follow Albion as Britain folk ways in order to resolve her mixed heritage. In the Caribbean Granadines, the locals have long played down folk practices of the ‘other world’ such as ritual dance or drumming, not wanting to appear backward. This is colonization of the mind, were language was used to suppress different cultures. And the portrayal of local cultures as less worthy or “backward.”

 

England as a nation certainly appears to have lost is sense of itself – it still has its Constitution of 1688, castles, monarchy, Tudors - all from !600s. but with London now being a melting pot, I’m not sure – what is England/ Britain’s, national identity, lost in this empire building, what is its national costume? Or national sense of itself outside of football or the red cross of St George? 

 

Britain is in fact a landmass, not a country. Britain only came into existence after the union of the parliaments in 1707. But what is Britain or UK as a country? It is not a country with any hinterland or sense of itself – apart from the world war one and the Victorian empire. But the British empire is bland and about elitism and barely taught in schools, even as the empire existed for many centuries and shaped how this Britain as England sees itself.

 

She claims there are signs of a “weird renaissance” bubbling in Britain as England, but her grasp of historical context is severely missing, as she skims the mere surface here. I guess she is searching for a lost 'England as Britain'. In urban London much culture is a cosmopolitan world culture – as heard in the Americanisation of the Brits award show, in London Pop culture and elsewhere. 

 

In this narrative there is not one mention of Scotland, Ireland or Wales – as if they don’t even exist or have any relevance or impact. Ignorance of history in this ‘Albion’ is clearly deep rooted.

England as Britain urgently needs to move from being an archaic state to a modern one – one that no longer controls and exploits an empire. 

“Scotland is a country NOT a county!”! Alex Salmond

 

**BOOKS*: For a deeper history of Scots and Celtic cultures I recommend 

Stuart McHardy’ Scotland’s Future History, 

Tom Devine, A Scottish Nation 1707 to present

Alan Raich - Arts of the Nation

Only Britain has Peerage Privilege

 

Britain is the only nation that continues to revere and believe in a hierarchy with the monarch at the top? In Great Britain, nobility and titles are part of the peerage, which is a social class of titled people who have certain privileges: share in the responsibility of government and can avoid taxes. 

Andrews recent fall from grace,- symptomatic of the entitlement and superiority of royalty, creates serious division and a fake hierarchy with the King or Queen at the top, which only encourages undeserving elites, private school education and a 2-teir system in society that holds many many children back. These elites form networks of privilege who help each other out. 

 

All this therefor holds the country back, as Finland discovered and banned private school education  in – Finland has the best education in the world. How’s that for what some may call a small nation with few resources! So hereditary privilege does matter – it hold Britain back. 

The British House of Lords is the second biggest unelected second chamber in the world, after China! Britain’s archaic constitution of 1690. Britain is an outlier in Europe – the only nation that continues to give nobility privileges such as tax avoidance. Britain urgently needs to move to becoming  a modern state. 

**The five ranks of British nobility, in descending order of precedence, are:

 

·       Duke: The highest and most exclusive rank

·       Marquess: The second most senior rank

·       Earl: The third rank

·       Viscount: The fourth rank

·       Baron: The lowest rank 

 

Titles can be hereditary or granted. Until 1999, peers were exempt from jury duty and entitled to sit in the House of Lords. 

 

Other European countries abolished nobility privileges. First was France in 1789, followed by Holland and Denmark in 1857. And then in 1919 Germany and Austria removed nobility privileges.  

 

 

First was *France – There is no nobility, its legal status was abolished 1789, while there are titles still but with no privileges attached.   

There is no such thing as nobility in France today. French courts have held that the concept of nobility is incompatible with the equality of all citizens before the law proclaimed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man, part of the Constitution of 1958. There are titles, which are considered part of the legal name, and entitled to the same protections in French civil and criminal courts, even though they give no privilege or precedence (the way they do in Great Britain). Regulation of titles is carried out by a bureau of the Ministry of Justice. The President has ceased to confer or confirm titles, but the French state still verifies them,  civil courts can protect them, criminal courts can prosecute their abuse.

History - 

1.     the abolition of feudalism and privileges in 1789, which did away with the legal status of nobility,

2.     the restoration of titles in 1808 by Napoleon, and their confirmation by the successive monarchical regimes until 1870

3.     the fact that the successive republican regimes have never passed any laws on the subject of titles.

The French Revolution did away with nobility and titles, titles were restored (not nobility), and the Republic has not done anything about titles. French nobiliary law is mostly based on court cases. At present, titles have not been abolished. The final establishment of a Republic in 1875 left them in a kind of limbo, and it took a succession of court cases to define the jurisprudence, which is now well established. 

(2) * Denmark - The Danish constitution of 1849 stripped the nobility of its privileges, though the titles remained.  History - The Danish nobility was granted social, economic, and political privileges in the 16th century in exchange for their military service to the king. Some of the families still own and reside in castles or country houses. A minority of nobles still belong to the elite and they can be guests at royal events, are objects of media coverage, for example Kanal 4s TV hostess Caroline Fleming née Baroness Luel-Brockdorff. Some of them own and manage companies or have leading positions within business, banking, diplomacy and NGOs.

(3) *Holland – After Constitutional reform 1848 the privileges of the Dutch nobility were abolished and they lost their constitutional roles. The only privileges that were allowed were titles and coats of arms. They became civilians with a noble title. Nobility became a small elite class consisting of families recognized as noble, and with or without a title in the Kingdome of the Netherlands

 

(4) *Germany  - Abolished the legal recognition of nobility in 1919, while titles are still used. The Weimar Constitution of 1919 removed legal privileges and disadvantages of birth or rank. Current status - Titles of nobility are only valid as part of a name and may no longer be conferred.August 1919, at the beginning of Weimer Republic (1918 – 1933) Germany's new constitution abolished royalty and nobility, and the respective legal privileges and immunities appertaining to an individual, a family or any heirs. Today, German nobility is no longer conferred by the Federal Republic of Germany (1949–present), and constitutionally the descendants of German noble families do not enjoy legal privileges. The Nobility of the German Empire was similar to nobility of the Austrian empire developed during the Holy Roman Empire and both ended in 1919 when they were abolished, and legal status and privileges were revoked.

(5) *Austria - In 1919, Austrian nobility was abolished under the First Austrian Republic (1919–1934) and the and legal recognition of hereditary titles and aristocratic particles and use as part of surnames was banned. Today, Austrian nobility is no longer conferred by the Republic of Austria(1945–present), and the official use of noble titles, is a minor offence under Austrian law for Austrian citizens

 

 

Groundbreaking Community Wealth Building fund

 

The Scottish Parliament recently passed the Community Wealth Building fund Bill 2026, which was crucially the first country to make this law. To ensure local communities – own, control and benefit from wealth they generate and NOT distant investors.

 

Cleveland Ohio, was rebooted with $58 investment. With a democracy alliance and evergreen Co-operatives. For laundry, energy and farm co-operatives to supply local hospitals, councils and universities. Preston adopted this model, and became the most improved city 2018. 

 

An important figure in community wealth fund building is Neil McInroy – worked at the centre for local economic studies (CLES) Manchester – for social, ecological and economic justice. And now back in Scotland. To supply local food to schools and hospitals. He has now relocated back to Scotland after his work in America.

 

Big is not always beautiful. The Scottish enterprise move to more local empowerment than inward investment.

Its crucially important to develop local democracy at community level. 

CELTIC REVIEW & PHOTOS 2026

 

Fiona Hunter and the Scottish Symphony orchestra

Record breaking Celtic Connections delivers message of hope and unity to the world

Its usually hard to decide, as there are so meny concerts on over the festivals weekends, which concerts to attend. The opening night this year celebrated the over 200 artists from Europe and worldwide who will perform at Celtic Connections. Through diverse, contemporary  traditional, electic, national and roots music. The festival brings people together people from different places, cultures, backgrounds, traditional – to explore and expand our musical horizons. 

This year I decided to attend Friday’s concert which brought together the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and outstanding singers with new orchestral commissions for a celebration of Scots traditional ballads, brought to a deeper resonance. singers of traditional ballads were acclaimed Scots folk singers - Karine Polwart, Kris Drever, Lori Watson, Janice Burns with Jon Doran, Emily Smith, Fiona Hunter.  

 

Celtic Connections is Europe’s leading winter and roots music festival, it certainly chases away those winter blues! I was thrilled to attend several high quality and wonderful concerts this year. There are many concerts I might wish to have attended – Mother Tongue, Celebration of Gaelic song, Capercaillie, Jacob Jolliff, and many more. 

Scots legend Dick Gaughan Celebrated!

**The highlight for me at CC this year was the celebration of Scots folk legend Dick Gaughan. He is a voice of deep humanity in our present dark world. This was the most emotional Celtic concert I have been to, over my twenty years attending and doing photos! Testament to Dick’s fame and widespread appeal among legends of the folk music scene, several had travelled far and wide to perform tonight from Ireland, England and Scotland, to perform Gaughan’s well loved songs. Many has also sent messages. 

 

I first heard Dick Gaughan in the 70s at the Police folk club Edinburgh. A musician friend raved about how incredible and distinctive his guitar playing was. Many years later (after being in America for nearly ten years) I heard Gaughan again at Milngavie Folk club in 2007. This was an intimate gig where his chat and stories between songs while he tuned his guitar, was worth going for alone. In his own distinctive voice, Gaughan hammers and speaks with his acoustic guitar.

Gaughan brought many of the traditional Irish and Scots Celtic songs to new life. I’d never heard Robert Burns Westlin Winds before Gaugan introduced this as one of the best songs ever written. He searched through the Scottish national archives for the best traditional ballads. Like Burns and Dylan before him Gaughan has been a genius song collector and remaker of the old songs. He drew on his Scots and Irish traditions to develop his song craft and performance. 

Julie Fowlis and SCO

Another highlight was the excellent Irish Scots folk trad music at the concert with Julie Fowlis with SCO at Celtic Connections 2026 – with their well-crafted songs. Julie has a clear musicality, along with her husband Irish bouzouki (Greek mandolin) player Emanon Doorley and now partnered with Irish fiddler and Gaelic singer Zoe Conway and Irish musician John McIntyre.    The quartet’s 2024 ALLT albums captures their authentic traditional music with that impactful live vibe and a cohesive sound: with soaring pipes, fiddles, melodies, dynamic rhythm guitar, the emotional solo voice, and the collective and caressing soothing vocal harmonies. They played the range and depth of traditional music – and the long roots between Irish and Scottish music. Both intimate and powerful. All performers were clearly thrilled to have the impact and range of the SCO behind them, to enrich their music with strings, percussions, wind instruments. Creatively conducted by David Brophy.

Karen Matheson

The Celtic roots celebration returned for its 31^st year at Celtic Connections music festival. Transatlantic Sessions is one of the highlights of Celtic Connections music festival, with both the familiar tunes and the new. TS brings together the deep connections between Irish, Scots and American music. Its a special blend of the churning rhythms of bluegrass, country, the fine Scots melodies, jigs and reels and the haunting Irish Gaelic song. This year we were treated to a quality range of performers – from America, Kathy Mattea, and Darrell Scott: from Scotland Karine Polwart and from Ireland Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh. 

Like a musical river from Tennessee to Nashville to west Kerry, than to Shetland and to Pathhead Midlothian. As Mattea described, the colourful, one off collaborating at Celtic Connections lead to arteries “like the roots of a tree that lead to different accents – and make the collaborating more sweet.” Like a fascinating patchwork quilt with the variety and range of musical styles and genres that challenge and add musical colour to our lives.

This has been another hugely successful festival to chase away the winter blues.

Darrell Scott

Kathy Mattea

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh

 16^th  Friday -  BBC Orchestra, Beyond the Tradition

 

17^th Saturday -  Celebration of Gaelic song

 

18^th Sunday –  True and Bold:  A Night for Dick Gaughan

 

21^st Wednesday  - Julie Fowlis & Scottish Chamber orchestra

 

23^rd Friday – Capercaillie 

 

23^rd Friday - Jacob Jolliff

 

29^th Thursday  -  Shooglenifty

 

1^st February – Transatlantic Sessions

Kris Drever

Record breaking Celtic Connections delivers message of hope and unity to the world =  Celtic Connections music festival 2026 celebrated several sell out live performances, record-breaking ticket sales and unique events, sending a message of hope and unity around the world about the power of music, cultural identity and collaboration.

More than 1,600 artists over 300 events at 25 venues across in Glasgow - Scotland’s largest live music city. This year’s event recorded over 200 sell outs, compared to 125 in 2025. With attendances of 114,000 across 18 days - with the highest ever number of tickets sold in the event’s 33-year history - cementing its place as the biggest winter festival of traditional, roots and world music on the planet.  Artists from 35 countries, included Palestine, Iraq, Ukraine, Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Gambia, Mali, Senegal, Sweden, Norway, Ireland and the United States.

 

Ceilidhs and family events proved popular, with 637 participants taking part in music and song workshops. Four free concerts welcomed 7,000 children and young people from across Scotland to the Glasgow Concert Hall. With performances from Sian, DLÙ, Celtic Fandango and Ímar. Since 1999, more than 300,000 children and young people have benefited from the festival’s learning programme.

  

The last night’s programme, included the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year final, the Danny Kyle Open Stage, Transatlantic Sessions and a performance from three-time Grammy winner Lucinda Williams, concluded the first major event in a busy year for Glasgow in 2026. 

 

Showcase Scotland shone a light on participants from Quebec, along with a wealth of homegrown talent, With international delegates attending from 24 nations for five days of top performances and networking opportunities.

 

The festival is delivered by Glasgow Life in partnership with Innis & Gunn. Celtic Connections is supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund and Creative Scotland.

Glasgow will also host WOMAD for the first time in July, the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the Royal National Mòd in October.

 

Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland said: “Scotland’s trad and folk artists were at full strength every single day during Celtic Connections 2026. Tradition bearers were honoured, new stars were born, and Scotland’s music proved yet again that it contains the very best the world has to offer. This was a particularly strong year for international artists too, as the festival celebrated different global cultures, bringing voices together in harmony, not discord, and creating music without borders.”

 

Celtic Connections Creative Director Donald Shaw said: “Such a unique coming together of performers as a global family sends a powerful message about the strength of music, cultural identity and collaboration, especially at a time when the world can feel more fragmented than ever."

“From the Drygate to Donbas, Byres Road to Baghdad, Candleriggs to Palestine, these past incredible days have been forged in friendship, fortitude and the freedom to express ourselves through song, dance and performance, filled with hope, inspiration and togetherness.  “From unforgettable headline moments to seeing artists step onto a Celtic Connections stage for the very first time, we have been united by the music and that is a legacy that will thrive long after the lights have dimmed. With the extraordinary support of our funders and partners, colleagues, venues, audiences and incredible volunteers, this is a festival built by passion and people, celebrating a rich cultural tapestry, musical pioneers and songwriting greats."

 

“To see audiences turn out in such record numbers through a cold and wet winter month is the most fitting tribute we could hope for, and I would like to thank everyone involved for making our 33rd edition so memorable, as we already begin the exciting work of looking ahead to what comes next.” 

Dick Gaughan Life on the Edge, Voice of Deep Humanity

Gaughan is a voice of deep humanity in our present dark world. 

Gaughan brought many of the traditional Irish and Scots Celtic songs to new life. I’d never heard Robert Burns Westlin Winds before Gaugan introduced this as one of the best songs ever written. He searched through the Scottish national archives for the best traditional ballads. Like Burns and Dylan before him Gaughan has been a genius song collector and remaker of the old songs. He drew on his Scots and Irish traditions to develop his song craft and performance. 

 

I first heard Dick Gaughan in the 70s at the Police folk club Edinburgh. A musician friend raved about how incredible and distinctive his guitar playing was. Many years later (after being in America for nearly ten years) I heard Gaughan again at Milngavie Folk club in 2007. This was an intimate gig where his chat and stories between songs while he tuned his guitar, was worth going for alone. In his own genuine voice, Gaughan hammers and speaks with his acoustic guitar.

 

He is an interpreter of Scotland’s traditional folk ballads. Gaughan has become a legend on the Scottish and world folk circuits for more than 40 years. He is an interpreter of Scotland’s traditional folk ballads. Songs of social conscience and an evening of contrast, quality and sincerity

Gaughan is Scots/ Irish and has spent his life in Leith Edinburgh. He’s a social protester, a profound storyteller who crosses boundaries, forges alliances through the depth of his story telling, and song and open chord’ dramatic guitar playing. His songs don’t flow easily to the shore – and they also share the full range of emotions. 

Its about the emotion of the song and the storytelling. Gaughan drew on his Scots and Irish traditions to develop his song craft and performance. He draws from both Irish and Scottish folk traditions. He performs traditional folk tunes, Robert Burns, favourite cover songs and his own songs. He doesn't play the predictable smoothed-over sugar box 'tartan shortbread' songs.

So glad to hope the younger generations are carrying the stream. (More so in Ireland perhaps?). I have to admit the most emotional Celtic concert I’ve been to. So many memories….You come away from his gigs questioning and renewed in the faith of our shared humanity.  

**SONGS – Erin Go Bragh, Workers Song, The Snows they Melt the Soonest, No Gods, Wages Day, Language of the Gaels, Song for Ireland, Westlin winds, Daughters and Sons, Craigie Hill, What you do with what you’ve got,  Both Sides the Tweed.

Gaughan is plain spoken and holds firmly held beliefs on the rights of everyman. Gaughan had a stroke in 2016, which means he can no longer play the guitar. He’s not been able to play for nearly ten years. Gaughan’s album Handful of Earth became an iconic folk album. 

·       (R/evolution: 1969–83) was released in January 2026 along with 

·       Live at the BBC: 1972–79 (vinyl).  

* The concert was recorded by BBC Radio Scotland. (Celtic concerts used to be recorded by the BBC Scotland tv.)

 

GUITAR  Earthy, real and powerful guitar playing, an incredible presence and depth. Gaughan says his guitars is an integral part of his singing. The Song has a tempo all of its own. The guitar has to follow the song. His distinctive style of guitar playing, with open chords and timing that he learnt from guitarist Davey Graham which was tuned differently. Gaughan plays with open chords and dramatic timing that he learnt from guitarist Davy Graham. 

SONG COLLECTOR - He took past folk stories and songs from the library archives and put new melodies to them. 

POLITICS  Gaughan is plain spoken and holds firmly held beliefs on the rights of everyman

BANDS - He played with Aly Bain’s Boys of the Lough and a punk band called Five Hand Reel.

 

Clan Alba, A folk supergroup, featured Dick Gaughan. Mary Macmaster, Brian MacNeill, Fred Morrison, Patsy  distinctive collective harmonies. Their 1996 debut album - included ‘Bye Bye Big Blue’, a lament for the closure of the Ravenscraig Steel Works, and Gaughan’s evocative ‘Childhood’s End’.

 

SONGS    Niel Gow  Craigie Hill  who had sung with Dick in ‘Clan Alba’,  the folk songcraft and voice tradition of the folk songcraft and voice tradition 

 

Songs of social conscience and an evening of contrast, quality and sincerity.You come away from his gigs questioning and renewed in the faith of our shared humanity. Gaughan has become a legend on the Scottish and world folk circuits for more than 40 years. He is an interpreter of Scotland’s traditional folk ballads. Songs of social conscience and an evening of contrast, quality and sincerity

 

Dick Gaughan is a towering figure in folk music circles, a musician whose radical politics have always been to the fore. I did many benefit gigs with him in the 80s and was inspired to record 'The World Turned Upside Down' after hearing his version on the magnificent 'Handful of Earth' LP.

Sadly his career has suffered two major setbacks. Firstly, much of his material was issued on small labels which no longer exist, meaning it's not available physcally or via streaming services. Secondly, he has been unable to perform since 2016 due to the effects of a stroke he suffered.

A group of friends and comrades have come together to address these issues by compiling and releasing a seven CD and DVD boxed set from which Dick will benefit directly once the costs have been covered. To this end they have set up a Kickstarter page to raise funds for the project. 

Dick Gaughan's entire career has been about showing solidarity for people in need. Let's show some solidarity for him now and get this project funded and flying.

 

Awww the Dick Gaughan tribute concert was amazing!! So emotional, so many folk icons from Scotland, England and Ireland. Plus all those Black and white images of the 70s folk scene in Edinburgh. The Irish artist Seamie O’Dowd who performed Song for Ireland was so good, one of those hushed silence moments... And Dick Gaughan was actually there at the end and sang a bit. He’s the most iconic folk artist, song collector and awesome guitarist of the past century. The most emotional Celtic Connections concert I’ve been to (over the past twenty years)….

 

 A voice of deep humanity in our present dark world. I first heard Dick back at an Edinburgh folk club in the 70s! My son has seen Dick live several times and was also moved to tears at the tribute concert. He plays guitar and Westlin Winds was always a favourite to play ....I hope the younger generations are carrying the traditions. I have photos from the concert will post.

The Solid Oak Tree True and Bold: It’s the song that Matters

 Earthy and grounded on sure solid roots,

I will follow your lead where it takes me,

Sure footed and solid and deep where it matters, 

Your hearts true and open and bold.

You search where it matters staying honest and true,

When so much around us is fake falsehoods and cruel, 

Dishonesty and ignorance that ignore what really counts,

Make your voice a beacon of light and hope.

As your strength of character pounds out the rhythms

And angst on your guitar,

You stand true and bold in a world that’s lost its way,

You are like the solid oak tree.

 You sang of the bonny yew tree,

Tell me what do you see.

“When the poor hunt the poor across mountain and moor
The rich man can keep them in chains

“So I raise up my glass and drink deep of its flame

To those who have gone who were links in the chain
And I give my soul's promise, I give my heart's pledge
To outlaws and dreamers and life at the edge.”

Don’t let go of the harness

That keeps us together,

As you search for truth in the auld ballads and songs,

Stay true,

It’s the song that matters.

PK