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Such a Parcel o Rogues In A Nation
(Trad)

Song Lyric as sung by Dick Gaughan

Fareweil tae aa our Scottish fame
Fareweil our ancient glory
Fareweil e'en tae our Scottish name
Sae famed in martial story
Nou Sark rins ower the Solway sands
An Tweed rins tae the ocean
Tae mark whaur England's province stauns
Sic a parcel o rogues in a nation!

What force or guile could not subdue
Thro many warlike ages
Is wrocht nou by a coward few
For hireling traitor's wages
The English steel we could disdain
Secure in valour's station
But English gold has been our bane
Sic a parcel o rogues in a nation!

O wad, ere I had seen the day
That Treason thus could sell us
My auld gray heid had lain in clay
Wi Bruce an loyal Wallace
But pith an pouer, till my last hour
I'll mak this declaration -
We're bocht an sold for English gold
Sic a parcel o rogues in a nation!

Song Notes

Help with language and pronunciation in the General Guide to Scots

Written about the Treaty Of Union of 1707 which, in theory, abolished the independent Parliaments of Scotland and England and created the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In practice, it merely ended the autonomy of the Scots and reduced us to the status of a province of England.

The "parcel of rogues" refered to were the bourgeousie of the Scots Parliament who were, quite literally, bribed into voting for the Treaty, completely abandoning all the principles of The Declaration of Arbroath

Recorded by Dick Gaughan

Gaughan (1978)

Also recorded by

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