Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WALLACE (Jim McLean)
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Aug 05 - 06:46 PM

1. They hung Wallace high from the scaffold. They cut him down ere he was dead,
And when he choked, the queen jeered him for daring to cross English Ted.
His heart and his liver they savaged, while her majesty watched the glad scene.
His head was cut off. He was quartered. 'Twas an afternoon fit for a queen.

CHORUS: They murdered the Wallace for treason. His body has long since decayed,
But no English crown can destroy him, For Wallace is with us today.

2. He took up the sword against England. The cowardly Sassenach ran.
He beat them at Stirling and Falkirk, and chased them like rats from our land.
King Edward of England was raging that Scotland was free once again.
The Scottish Republican Army had wiped out his best fighting men.

3. Oh, William the Wallace fought bravely. No Englishman could him defeat,
But English gold brought Scottish quislings, and he was betrayed by Menteith.
With a crown made of thorns he was tortured for setting his own country free.
"How am I a traitor," cried Wallace, "when England is foreign to me?"

4. From Edinburgh, Stirling and Falkirk, from Inverness to Elderslie,
His spirit is calling for justice and commands us to set ourselves free.
So when once again we do battle for Wallace against English scum,
With no fear of betrayal to the Saxon, let them come! Let them come! Let them come!


Footnote - On 11 September 1297 a Scottish army under the command of William Wallace and Andrew de Moray defeated a larger English force under John de Warrenne, Earl of Surrey, and The Treasurer of England, Hugh de Cressingham, at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. William Wallace and Andrew de Moray were subsequently appointed as Joint Guardians of Scotland.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallce
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Aug 05 - 06:55 PM

Sung by drunks after football matches, no doubt.

Subject: Lyr Add: WILLIAM WALLACE (Jim McLean)
From: Jim McLean
Date: 27 Aug 05 - 07:02 PM

I wrote this song in the early 60s but there are some errors as posted above. The correct words are:

WILLIAM WALLACE
(Jim McLean)

They hung Wallace high from the gallows,
Then cut him down ere he was dead,
And when he choked, the queen jeered him,
For daring to cross English Ted.
His heart and his liver they savaged,
While her majesty watched the glad scene.
His head was cut off. He was quartered.
'Twas an afternoon fit for a queen.

CHORUS: They murdered the Wallace for treason.
His body has long since decayed,
But no English crown can destroy him,
For Wallace is with us today.

He took up the sword against England.
The cowardly Sassenach ran.
He fought them at Stirling and Falkirk,
And chased them like rats from our land.
King Edward of England was raging
That Scotland was free once again.
The Scottish Republican Army
Had wiped out his best fighting men.

Oh, William the Wallace fought bravely.
No Englishman could him defeat,
But English gold brought Scottish quislings,
And he was betrayed by Menteith.
With a crown made of thorns he was tortured
For setting his own country free.
'How am I a traitor', cried Wallace,
'When England is foreign to me?'

From Edinburgh, Stirling and Falkirk,
From Inverness to Elderslie,
His spirit is calling for justice,
And commands us to set ourselves free.
And when once again we do battle
For Wallace against foreign scum,
With no fear of betrayal to the Saxon
Let them come! Let them come! Let them come!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallce
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 27 Aug 05 - 10:45 PM

Ah, the indiscretions of youth.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace
From: Tam the man
Date: 28 Aug 05 - 07:04 AM

A great Song

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Aug 05 - 07:13 AM

Classic jingoism.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: weerover
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 04:55 PM

The tune is "The Wheels of the World"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: goatfell
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 05:24 PM

or as he's known in Australia 'braveheart'

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: Jim McLean
Date: 29 Jun 07 - 10:51 AM

Weerover, I don't recollect the name Wheels of the World. The tune I wote it was Irish, I think, but the name escapes me, it was a long time ago.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: weerover
Date: 29 Jun 07 - 03:49 PM

Jim, it is an Irish song, uses spinning of yarn as an allegory to political events across the centuries. It refers to Martin Luther, John Mitchel, Nelson, Napoleon and others. Don't know whether the tune was original to this song or whether "Wheels of the World" also borrowed it from something older, but it is definitely the same tune as yours - I have it in your book and also on vinyl sung by Nigel Denver.

wr.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: Felipa
Date: 19 Jun 21 - 02:56 PM

some recordings of The Wallace

Alastair McDonald

John Darlington

Mudcat discussion with lyrics of
The Wheels of the World

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 20 Jun 21 - 07:23 AM

I am curious to know why 'guest' on 27 and 28 August 2005 (I am assuming these posts were by the same person?) bothers to read a thread started by Jim Mclean - who is a highly regarded writer of many songs, has been for a long number of years - and then choose to make sarky comments on both occasions? If you do not like the subject matter, the normal thing to do is quietly leave without posting your opinion! - if you do feel some sort of obligation to make a negative comment, the mature approach would be to do so under either your own or at least your mudcat name, not hide behind 'guest'.
I urge you to ask the moderators to remove your two nasty comments forthwith
(If you are still alive?)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: Jim McLean
Date: 20 Jun 21 - 12:02 PM

I never knew the title of the tune I used, just heard it sung early in the 1960s or late 50s, and knew it was traditional Irish.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: GUEST,Observer
Date: 20 Jun 21 - 12:24 PM

1297 - a "Scottish Republican Army"?????

Rather strange concept for those days I would have thought. But there again one would have to be a complete and utter idiot to look for actual history in folk song, even when written with the advantage of 20x20 hindsight.

Some songwriters can do it, like Brian McNeill and Robin Laing, others, like the nyaff gaffer, can't.

"From Edinburgh, Stirling and Falkirk,
From Inverness to Elderslie,
His spirit is calling for justice,
And commands us to set ourselves free.
And when once again we do battle
For Wallace against foreign scum,
With no fear of betrayal to the Saxon
Let them come! Let them come! Let them come!"

I mean really in this day and age - Who needs it? The song itself is totally negative and the GUEST postings of the 27th and 28th that Gallus Moll refers to only express an opinion.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 20 Jun 21 - 01:14 PM

Guest,Observer - were you the original 'guest' poster (with incorrect words) in August 2005?
Perhaps not - I assume the reason Jim McLean responded was to correct the words of his song, written over 50 years ago in the 1960s. This was the era of protest songs, Ding Ding Dollar, Scottish Breakaway and the like. Many of them were produced in a collective, others dashed of quickly in time for a march.....some would become classics, pass 'into the tradition' - as a good number of Jim's songs have! You also have to remember that lots of these songwriters were young, perhaps still honing their craft?

- I am interested in knowing how many songs YOU have composed, Observer? Since you have taken it upon yourself to be so judgemental about another person in an open forum? Rude, patronising and un-necessary in my opinion......

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: weerover
Date: 20 Jun 21 - 04:00 PM

Jim, I have sent you a p.m.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: GUEST,Observer
Date: 20 Jun 21 - 07:47 PM

So Gallus exactly who are those referred to as "foreign scum" and do you think at any time the inclusion of such a term is acceptable in a song? No idea what this song is protesting about, historically it is riddled with howling inaccuracies

"The Wallace" is a title of a 15th century epic poem. No such person as William the Wallace it was just simply William Wallace who fought in support of John Balliol's claim to the Scottish Throne [So so much for the Scottish Republican Army crap] and by the way as Balliol had sworn an oath of fealty to King Edward I of England THAT meant that Wallace's actions were treasonous.

Now as I am NOT, nor have I ever laid claim to being, a professional musician, performer, entertainer how many songs do I have to have written [I believe that you write songs and compose music] to pass an opinion on something? My guess is NONE.

As for being judgemental - I think quite honestly the words pot, kettle and black apply to both yourself and your contributions. Do I like the song - no because it is drivel - can say that I hold the same opinion of SOME songs by Bob Dylan and other "Greats" - But that is what personal taste and opinion is all about. Agreeing with you and your calls for censorship was never, nor should it ever be part of any equation apart from one applicable to you and you alone.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: Jim McLean
Date: 21 Jun 21 - 03:08 AM

Gallup’s Moll and weerover don’t get into an argument with Observer…. I ignore him/her as he/she hides behind anonymity and is full of bile.
I’m not going to answer any more posts on this thread.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 21 Jun 21 - 04:22 AM

OK Jim, I shall ignore the sad person called 'observer' -just a shame there is not a block facility on Mudcat!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: weerover
Date: 21 Jun 21 - 04:35 AM

Thanks Jim, I am well aware of Observer's persona here from previous threads. I take nothing he/she/they says at all seriously.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: William Wallace (Jim McLean)
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 21 Jun 21 - 04:53 AM

- he/she/IT!!!