{"id":6694,"date":"2020-11-06T10:32:12","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T10:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=6694"},"modified":"2021-07-06T19:57:32","modified_gmt":"2021-07-06T19:57:32","slug":"highlandmans-toast-the","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/highlandmans-toast-the\/","title":{"rendered":"Highlandman\u2019s Toast, The"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1880s<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Harry Linn<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN30162<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Harry Linn<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Source Singers<\/strong>
Hay, George 1952 Scotland : Banffshire
Sellick, Ernest 1956 Canada : Prince Edward Isle<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Add title<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AKA<\/strong><\/td>\ufeff<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1880s<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Writer\/composer<\/td>Harry Linn<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN30162<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Harry Linn<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Source Singers<\/strong>
Hay, George 1952 Scotland : Banffshire
Sellick, Ernest 1956 Canada : Prince Edward Isle
Modern performances<\/strong>
<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Scotland, the land of the thistle and heather\nScotland the land of mountain and flood, \nScotland to the birthplace of true hearted heroes \nWho paid for their freedom with the last drop of blood. \nWe'll may each Scotchman while life lasts remember \nThe brave ones who fell 'gainst the numberless host \nWho tried to invade her, in slavery degrade her, \nAnd whose name shall ever be the Highlandman's toast\n\nHere's to the heath, the hill, and the heather, \nThe bonnet, the plaidie, the kilt and the feather; \nHere's to the heroes that Scotland can boast, \nMay their names never die \u2013 that's a Highlandman's toast<\/em>\n\nFamed is the name of our own hero, Wallace, \nWhose brave heart to Scotland was loyal and true, \nWho lived for her glory, who died at that dishonour \nMight never descend on the bonnets o' blue. \nAnd the Bruce we still mourn, who at famed Bannockburn \nWith his brave little band the usurpers defied, \nWho fought like a lion, vast armies defying, \nTill the field with the blood of her foemen was dyed.\n\nWave on stern Thistle, wave on Bonnie Heather, \nGrow o'er the graves where our darling ones lie; \nBloom there to show them: our friends and our foemen \nHow Scotchmen can fight and how Scotchmen can die; \nBid them remember we want no defender, \nOur hearts are as true as the brave ones of yore, \nWhose names we will cherish to memory perish, \nSo let the toast resound from the hill to the shore!\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
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Another Harry Linn<\/a> song .. Remembered by just a couple of traditional source singers, and appearing in several broadsides and song books published in Scotland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jingoism<\/a> is an unpleasant trait in songs from the Halls that I have commented on elsewhere.  I won’t make any attempt to edit it out, but I make no apology for calling it out when I see it. I appreciate this song calls on famous events in Scotland’s fight against the English, but let’s recall that the “hordes” that Highland regiments were fighting in the late 19th century tended to be people of a different colour on the African continent and elsewhere.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
You can hear George Hay sing it at the excellent Tobar an Dualchais Kist o Riches site<\/a>. They hint that the chorus may be an older toast adopted from a different source, I’ve been unable to confirm this.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n