Fidyca't

The Mither Tongue   ( 1986 )

 

I was born a wheen o' years ago in the auld toun o' Arbroath

where the abbey rises proudly, where my country took the oath

sayin' as lang as but a hundred o' us remain alive and free

we'd nae mair be the nail beneath the hammer o' our country

 

Schuiled in Inverbrothock but I learned nae guid Scots tongue

for education seems to mean we accept our song's been sung

fae the Gadhlig o' the western isles tae the lallans soft o' Kyle

we've changed our voices, changed our names

changed our music, changed our style

 

Abody's gaen appin, a' oor hearts are far awa

abody's gaen appin

while oor language dees awa....

 

I was raised tae mind the words I chose, so I taught ma bairns the same

we can turn our backs sae easily on a thousand years o' hame

Oor TV an' oor radio embrace the English tongue

day by day the gallows where the essence o' oor country's hung

 

Will Buchan hae it's doric

when the final barrel's done

will the weans survive the mid-atlantic

clowns on radio one.

Will the gaidhealtachd be echoin'

a chorus or lament

will we again be Alba

has self respect lang syne been spent ?

 

Abody's gaen appin, a' oor hearts are far awa

Abody's gaen appin, while oor language dees awa