• upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
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  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
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Topic: clearing the hills

A poem about the highland clearances in Scotland that started about 1725 after a jacobite rising and carried on until the late 1800's. The Government decided they could not afford another battle since they lost a lot as well as scraped through a few wins ( lol yes I am biased)


They came and built roads to take us off our land
they built bridges so strong that today they still stand
burnt down the houses while we breathed in the smoke
like rabbits in a burrow we ran out before we choked
they killed who fought back and raped the women before our eyes
tears dripped from our faces as we heard our children's cries
they replaced the men with sheep, they were easier to control
paying off the lairds to ease the conscience that they stole
they broke up the clans and looked for ways to bring us down
created the black watch to keep us prisoner in a town
Now they are reintroducing the wolf,beaver and bear
so why not man where once he lived his life so fair
today we we say we want our land back
but the thought of this in westminster makes hairs stand on their backs
a Referendum  is what we will get in the year two thousand and ten
but will we get back to the hills to live in a butt and ben

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • From: The Land Of Song
  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 5,707

Re: clearing the hills

bears, lions, wolves, they'll all rip out your throat! but then they will eat the meat. animals will kill to protect their young and to feed themselves, man will kill and has always killed for the power and enjoyment of deciding on another's life or death!

i've never understood why governments will invade, destroy and kill thousands, millions of people and for what purpose? to have an extra bit of land, a few more people to tax?

maybe it is time the world was rid of this vermin called the human race. all we have done since we stood up straight is steal from the ones that are prepared to work for what they have. kill out of jealousy, then rape the land and the women left after the holocaust.

yes i'm depressed, but moved by your words ken

for the sake of auld lang syne

phill

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Phill Williams's Website

  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
  • Offline
  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Re: clearing the hills

Thanks Phil,

I wrote this today after writing out a wee set list I will be doing in Jura this year. I sat and looked at it and thought how most of the songs revolved round the clearances and jacobites. And also I just finished reading a book on the jacobites a few weeks ago.
I also listen to Brian McNeils album " no gods" a lot and a song on that gave me the inspiration to write this. The song is called " bring back the wolf"  lyrics here http://www.mysongbook.de/msb/songs/b/bringbck.html

Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending