The Book of Scottish Song/Bruce's Address
Bruce's Address.
[This noble heroic ode, which has been adopted by universal consent as the national patriotic song of Scotland, and which, like a talismanic password, springs to recollection in every great cause where freedom or liberty is at stake, was written by Burns in 1793, to the tune of "Hey, tuttie taitie," and sent to George Thomson for insertion in his collection. Sir. Thomson objected to "Hey tuttie taitie," as being an air unworthy of such spirited words, and set the song to the tune of "Lewie Gordon," lengthening the last line of each verse for that purpose. He afterwards, however, changed his mind, and gave the words and the air as Burns originally intended, acknowledging that having examined "Hey, tuttie taitie" with more particular attention, he thought it much better adapted for giving energy to the poetry than "Lewie Gordon." The tune of "Hey, tuttie taitie" is one of unquestionable antiquity. Burns says that he met with a tradition in many parts of Scotland, that it was Robert Bruce's march at the battle of Bannockburn. This tradition is disputed by Ritson, on the ground that the Scotch had no musical instruments in these days beyond "little horns"—a notion entirely subverted by the numerous embellishments of musical instruments on our most ancient architecture, and by the express assertion of olden writers so far back as the 12th century, who assign to the Scotch and Irish a high state of perfection in the musical art. "Hey, tuttie taitie" has been generally supposed to be the same tune as "Hey now the day dawis," mentioned by Dunbar and other Scottish poets of the sixteenth century, and for which Alexander Montgomery wrote words, beginning,
"Hey now the day dawis,
The jollie cok crauis,
Now shrouds the shauis
Throw nature anone;
The thissel-cok cryis
On lovers wha lyis,
Now skaillis the skyis,
The night is near gone."
In a MS. Lute Book, however, of Gordon of Straloch, 1627, the air of "The day dawis" is given, and it differs greatly from the tune in question, as it is now generally received. We know of no extension of the words "Hey, tuttie taitie," beyond the following, which we never saw in print but which we have heard a worthy old man sing. It was all he had of the song:—
"Hey, tuttie taitie!
Hey, drucken Patie!
The gruns o' the ale barrel
Are no for me."
Mr. Syme, one of the poet's best friends at Dumfries, tells a romantic story of "Bruce's Address" having been composed by Burns during a storm of "thunder, lightning, and of rain," among the wilds of Glen Ken in Galloway, in July, 1793; but this does not tally with Burns's own account of its composition in his letter to Thomson, dated September of the same year. "There is a tradition," he says, "which I have met with in many places of Scotland, that the air of 'Hey, tuttie taitie' was Robert Bruce's march at the battle of Bannockburn. This thought, in my yesternight's evening walk, warmed me to a pitch of enthusiasm on the theme of liberty and independence, which I threw into a kind of Scottish ode, that one might suppose to be the royal Scot's address to his heroic followers on that eventful morning. I showed the air to Urbani, who was highly pleased with it."]
Scots, wha ha'e wi' Wallace bled!
Scots, wham Bruce has aften led!
Welcome to your gory bed,
Or to victorie!
Now's the day, and now's the hour:
See the front of battle lour:
See approach proud Edward's power-
Chains and slaverie!
Wha will be a traitor knave?
Wha will fill a coward's grave?
Wha sae base as be a slave?
Let him turn and flee!
Wha, for Scotland's king and law,
Freedom's sword will strongly draw,
Freeman stand, or freeman fa',
Let him follow me!
By oppression's woes and pains,
By your sons in servile chains.
We will drain our dearest veins,
But they shall be free.
Lay the proud usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe!
Liberty's in every blow!
Let us do or die!