The Eskimo Republic For John Powles, former Project Manager of the Centre for Political Song at Glasgow Caledonian University, and for Thurso Berwick. Other books written or co-written by Ewan McVicar include One Singer One Song Cod Liver Oil & The Orange Juice [with Hamish Imlach] Streets Schemes & Stages [with Mary McCabe] Traditional Scottish Songs & Music [with Katherine Campbell] Doh Ray Me When Ah Wis Wee Lang Legged Beasties One Black Isle Night The Eskimo Republic Scots political folk song in action 1951 to 1999 Ewan McVicar Gallus Publishing Linlithgow All rights reserved. The moral right of the author has been asserted. First published in Great Britain in 2010 by Gallus Publishing 84 High Street Linlithgow EH49 7AQ 01506 847935 [email protected] No part of this book may be produced or transmitted in any form or by any other means without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages. This book was researched, created and published through a Writers Bursary grant in 2008 from the Scottish Arts Council, to whom full thanks are given. All interview texts are the copyright of those interviewed, who are thanked for their generous giving of time, knowledge and thoughts. Particular thanks are due to John Powles, Ian Davison, Stuart McHardy and Geordie McIntyre. Song texts are the copyright of the named creators or their heirs. Particular thanks to Marion Blythman, Kaetzel Henderson, Janette McGinn, Meic Stephens, the families of Norman MacCaig and John MacEvoy, Ian Davison and Seylan Baxter to quote from the relevant works. The data CD that accompanies this book can be played on a computer but NOT on an audio CD player. It holds a searchable PDF file in place of an index, 289 mp3 files of songs and data files. See the listings on pages 341-343. ISBN 978-0-9565990-4-9 Edited, designed and brought to press by Ewan McVicar Printed and bound in the UK by the MPG Books Group, Bodmin and King‘s Lynn CONTENTS 1) Introduction Nations Rise That Yince Were Doon 7 2) 1951 Bo‘ness Rebels and the Stane It‘s Time To Sing A Rebel Tune 17 3) The 1951 People‘s Festival Ceilidh 31 4) Songs of Warfare and Strife Freedom‘s Sword 43 5) 1951-1955 Scotland Hasnae Got A Queen 57 6) Big Ballads Troublesome Men And Troubled Women 65 7) 1956 -1960 Patriot Songs 69 8) Songs Of National Politics Lay Your Disputes Aa Aside 77 9) 1961Unholy Doings At The Holy Loch 95 10) Songs Of Local Politics Cooncillors Cooried In Conclave 115 11) 1960s Here Come The Folk Clubs 125 12) International Connections Far Ower The Faem 151 13) 1967 Swing To The SNP 169 14) Work And No Work Songs 187 15) 1970-1999 Songs From All Directions 205 16) Aspects of Political Song Beginnings, Influences & Thoughts 229 17) What Does Political Song Mean To You? 245 18) Song Makers, Singers, Song Making, Singing 261 19)The Revival Of An Auld Sang 305 Appendix One 321 People, groups, organisations, events, places Appendix Two 341 CD listings and details Nations Rise That Yince Were Doon Now fortune‘s wheel it is birlin roon An nations rise that yince were doon So it‘s time tae sing a rebel tune For the Eskimo Republic Where there is nae class, there is nae boss Nae kings nor queens, an damn the loss An ye get boozed up for a six months doss In the Eskimo Republic Scots folk song has always included a stinging dose of fervent political protest and social comment, but from 1951 on the dosage has increased and become more scouring and scourging in its intent and effect. Socialists and supporters of independence sing about living in peace with self-determination and protesting against injustice, while right wing wielders of power sing songs that seek to justify and defend their privileges. The song ‗The Eskimo Republic‘ was made in the 1960s by poet Morris Blythman, a extension of an idea adopted by 1961 Scottish peace protesters that the then termed Eskimos, now Inuit, have never been involved in warfare though living in several Northern countries, on both sides of the ‗Cold War‘. The lyric holds many of the elements that typified Scottish political folk song during the Scottish Folk Revival that began in the late 1950s and has now spread wide its influence musically and socially as its primary thrust of action loses impetus. Aspects of the Eskimo lyric include independence, republican socialism, the Scots Leid, humour, warfare, anti-nuclear weapons, enjoyment of alcohol, a vigorous tune, and applying the mirror of history to the maker's priorities. The tune Blythman selected for his song shows Scots makers' continuing reference back to and mining of older songs. ‗Loch Errochside‘ was also used by Burns for a song about a wandering warbling A selection of Scottish political songs woodlark, not one of his I faught at land, I faught at sea best, and by Lady At hame I faught my Auntie, O Caroline Nairne for a But I met the Devil and Dundee On th‟ braes o‟ Killiecrankie, O wooing song, ‗The Lass of Killiecrankie Gowrie‘. This book looks at Charlie Stuart came at last, sae far tae set Scotland's pre-1951 us free My Donald‟s arm was wanted then, for antecedents in political Scotland and for me song, discusses key 1951- Their waefu fate what need I tell? Right 1999 songs, song- tae the wrong did yield makers, singers and My Donald and his country fell upon organisers, and gives Culloden field The Highland Widow‟s Lament many examples of the short-lived political Hark the „Glasgow Herald‟ sings comment and 'agit-prop' English people all have wings songs that were made and All the bad ones are the Scotch discarded. It investigates Who take the Stone and leave the watch For Kin And Country, tune Hark The the period through first- Herald Angels, words W.W. hand accounts based on new interviews with the Men and women listen to me activists, and it considers It‟s time to rise up aff yer knee the characteristics of So raise the flag of Unity And forward with the Union humour, energy, and If It Wisnae For the Union, tune Wark o commitment that the Weavers, words Matt McGinn distinguish the songs, the use of older Scots song I‟ve been to Iraq, but now that I‟m back, I and of Scots language wouldn‟t go there twice With a name like MacHuseiney, and a whether older vernacular dad from Azerbaijani or literary Lallans or They‟d have me doon the shredder in a modern urban, and the trice role of tunes, old, new I‟d have to go in disguise, tae gie them and copyright, in the ma Eski expertise Iraq „N‟ Bac, tune The Lancashire song-making. Toreador, words Ukes Against Nukes The Scots trait of engaging in robust and at times irreverent political discussion and action periodically expresses itself in song. These songs stimulate and support action, articulate the issues and principles espoused, particularise, sloganise and at times sentimentalise. One period of song-based action, the Jacobite song aftermath of the 1745 Rising, led to the egalitarian songs More Scottish political songs O the Thistle o Scotland was famous of old of Burns. Wi its toorie sae snod and its bristles sae bauld Another, the Tis the Badge o my Country, it‟s aye dear tae me 1951 poetic And thocht o them baith brings the licht tae ma ee expressions of The Thistle of Scotland, As sung by Willie Main pleasure at the Lang afore the Poles and Rumanians Lifting of the The Czechoslovaks or Bulgarians Stone of Destiny, We led the workers tae victoree resulted in a We up and nationalised the Govan Ferree sequence of song- The Labour Provost, tune The White Cockade, words supported actions Iain Nicolson on the issues of To the Lords of Convention twas Claverhouse spoke independence and “Ere the King‟s crown go down there are crowns to be republicanism, broke freedom from So let each cavalier who loves honour and me nuclear weaponry, Let him follow the bonnets o Bonnie Dundee” Bonny Dundee, tune The Band at a Distance, words opposition to the Sir Walter Scott Poll Tax and the First Gulf War, Wee Prince Chairlie‟s a lucky laddie and other linked He‟s got a daddy and a mammy Disna see the approachin rammy causes, Lucky wee Prince Chairlie exemplified in the Wee Prince Chairlie, tune O Ro Se, words Thurso ‗Eskimo Republic‘ Berwick concept of a Scottish nation of So while our anger burns for those oppressed By Uncle Sam, John Bull and all the rest peace and Remember in these Islands equality. In the Lowlands and the Highlands The term Scottish There are nations that we only hold in jest Political Song is a Workers of the World, tune and words Jim McLean loose one, which can encompass protest, political comment, social comment, social history and narrative that supports a political stance. Some characteristic elements are that it is ephemeral, lyric based, exploitative of tunes, and uses humour as a weapon. Ingredients of political song can be the urging of action against social and political injustice, approval for and support of warfare both internal and international, appeals for peace or for defence of the status quo, the joys of drink, the lessons of history, the concerns and complaints of labour, radicalism, socialism, republicanism, independence - all expressed through the medium of sung poetry in support of political and social action.