SCOTLAND are back in International footballing action as the Tartan Army take on Hungary on Sunday 23rd June, 2024.
And you can guarantee that their national song, the Flower of Scotland, will be belted out proudly before the match.
What are the lyrics to 'The Flower of Scotland'?
O Flower of Scotland,
When will we see
Your like again,
That fought and died for,
Your wee bit Hill and Glen,
And stood against him (against who?),
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
To think again.
The Hills are bare now,
And Autumn leaves
lie thick and still,
O'er land that is lost now,
Which those so dearly held,
That stood against him (against who?),
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
To think again.
Those days are past now,
And in the past
they must remain,
But we can still rise now,
And be the nation again,
That stood against him (against who?),
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
To think again.
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What is Scotland's national anthem 'The Flower of Scotland' about?
Although a lot of people think the song is about William Wallace, it is actually about the medieval wars of independence in Scotland involving Robert the Bruce.
Flower of Scotland refers to the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 when Bruce, King of Scots, claimed victory over Edward II, King of England.
According to Live Breathe Scotland: “The basic theme is of rising up to protect the country and sending the English King home to think twice about invading Scotland again.”
Who composed Scotland's national anthem 'The Flower of Scotland'?
Both the song and lyrics were composed by Roy Williamson.
He was a member of the Scottish folk group The Corries, who first performed the song in 1967.
The song reportedly caught the ear of Scotland rugby union winger Billy Steele, who encouraged his teammates to sing it during the 1974 British Lions tour of South Africa.
The song was then adopted by the national side for the Five Nations in 1990, before the Scottish FA followed suit and made it their official pre-game anthem in 1997 — it had already been used informally since 1993.
What is Scotland's alternative national anthem?
The Flower of Scotland is actually the nation's unofficial national anthem.
This is because the national anthem of every United Kingdom member country — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — is God Save The King.
As the Scottish government is yet to adopt Flower of Scotland as its official national anthem, Scotland does not have an officially recognised and unique anthem.
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And the Tartan Army will belt it out before their Euro 2024 opening match against hosts Germany, which kicks off at 8pm in Munich.
Why isn't Scotland the Brave the national anthem?
Scotland the Brave was used as a Scottish anthem in the Commonwealth Games between 1958 and 2006.
In June 2006, an online poll was held to determine Scotland's favourite unofficial anthem, with Scotland the Brave missing out on top spot only to Flower of Scotland.
Since the 2010 Commonwealth Games Flower of Scotland has been used as the anthem.
