Scotland: Songs Ancient And Modern Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "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, Proud Edward's Army, And sent him homeward, Tae think again..." These are words from Scotland's unofficial national anthem. It's not an ancient song, though, which Scottish folk band originated the song in the 1960s?

Answer: The Corries

Scotland does not have an official 'national anthem', but Scottish rugby fans, in particular, have adopted 'Flower of Scotland' as their own. Having experienced a packed Murrayfield stadium echoing to the words, I can testify to the raw emotion the song creates.
Roy Williamson wrote the song for The Corries in 1967 and it became Scottish rugby's pre-game anthem in 1990.
The lyrics refer to Robert the Bruce's victory over Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

2. "Oh ye'll tak' the high road An' I'll tak' the low road And I'll be in Scotland afore ye For me and my true love will never meet Again on the bonnie bonny - - - -" This is a popular traditional Scottish song, but which of these places fills in the gaps left in the lyrics?

Answer: Banks of Loch Lomond

The song was first published in 1841 but its exact origins are unknown.
Loch Lomond is the UK's third largest biggest lake in terms of area. It contains many islands and is noted as a location for a variety of water sports.

3. "Let me tell you that I love you and I think about you all the time Caledonia, you're calling me and now I'm going home For if I should become a stranger you know that it would make me more than sad Caledonia's been everything I've ever had..." Which Glasgow-born bluesman/rocker took "Caledonia" into the UK charts in 1992?

Answer: Frankie Miller

"Caledonia" only reached Number 45 in the charts in 1992 but its popularity is assured in Scotland. It's part of the soundtrack to any international match at Murrayfield, home stadium of Scottish Rugby Union.
The song was written by Dougie Maclean, a native of Dunblane, Scotland.
Born in Glasgow in 1949, Frankie Miller's biggest hit was "Darlin'", a UK Number Six in 1978.

4. "The Northern Lights of old - Mean home sweet home to me The Northern Lights of old - Are what I long to see I've been a wanderer all of my life Any many a sight I've seen God speed the day when l' m on my way To my home in -" Which Scottish city fills in the blank in these well-known lyrics?

Answer: Aberdeen

The song was written in the 1950s by Mel and Mary Webb, who were English! It was a staple of many Scottish singers including The Alexander Brothers, Jimmy Shand, Andy Stewart and Kenneth McKellar.

5. "I remember the sound of the passing train As it rolled through the night in the pouring rain And the touch of a hand and the way she said 'Goodbye'. And we walked in the sun down the Royal Mile Saw the light in her eye and the way she smiled And she cried in the night and I heard her say 'Don't go'. This was a catchy number written and recorded by the Scottish singer Gerry Rafferty. Which city has, arguably, the most famous "Royal Mile" in Scotland?

Answer: Edinburgh

The 'Royal Mile" is an encompassing name for a number of streets that run from Edinburgh Castle downhill to the Palace of Holyrood House.
Gerry Rafferty was born in Renfrewshire on April 16th 1947 and died in Gloucestershire on January 4th 2011. His biggest hit was "Baker Street", which was a UK Number Two in 1978.

6. "Well we sang shang-a-lang as we ran with the gang doin' doo wop be dooby do ay we were all in the news with our blue suede shoes and our dancin' the night away. Which multi chart-topping band brought tartan to a new generation, despite their less than Scottish sounding name?

Answer: Bay City Rollers

The Bay City Rollers had ten UK top ten hits between 1971 and 1976, including "Shang A Lang', which was a Number Two in 1974. "Bye, Bye, Baby" and "Give a Little Love" topped the UK charts the following year. In 1976, "Saturday Nights" topped the charts in the USA and Canada, without charting in the UK.
The Rollers were as much a phenomenon in the 1970s as The Beatles in the 1960s - that is not to suggest they were anywhere near the musical ability of the Fab Four. With their tartan scarves and tartan-trimmed trousers, BCR attracted hordes of of screaming fans, mainly young girls, and let's face it, that's where the comparison with The Beatles begins and ends.
Still, the Bay City Rollers were hugely successful and attracted magazine coverage and their own TV show. Torn apart by line-up changes, the Rollers were finished by 1976, though limped on until 1985.

7. "I am sailing, I am sailing, home again 'cross the sea. I am sailing stormy waters to be near you to be free..." This was a song made famous by the non-native Scot Rod Stewart, but which very Scottish brothers first recorded it?

Answer: The Sutherland Brothers

The song was written by Gavin Sutherland, who, with his brother Iain, formed The Sutherland Brothers Band and then Sutherland Brothers and Quiver. SBB released "Sailing" as a single in 1972, but it found little success. Rod Stewart picked it up and made it a Number One UK hit in 1975. It returned to the top ten a year later when it was used as the theme for the BBC TV documentary "Warship".
The song was first heard on the album "Lifeboat", which, confusingly, has been attributed to the Sutherland Brothers in the UK and SB&Q in the USA.

8. "Silver Bridge across the Clyde Spread your wide arms over me. Dancing light upon the water Brings my boyhood back to me..." This song was written out of affection for Scotland's largest city. Which of these was it?

Answer: Glasgow

The song was written by Ranald Alasdair MacDonald of Keppoch, who was proclaimed chief of the Honourable Clan Ranald of Lochaber Mac-Mhic Raonuill.
In 2006, "The Independent" newspaper reported that Ranald Alasdair MacDonald "a retired hearing aid specialist" (he was then aged 75) had fought and won "a bitter 20-year court battle to be installed as the first chief of Clan MacDonald of Keppoch since 1848."
In 2008, the largest cities by population in Scotland were:
1 Glasgow 581,320
2 Edinburgh 454,280
3 Aberdeen 183,030
4 Dundee 142,070

9. "I was sick and tired of everything When I called you last night from Glasgow All I do is eat and sleep and sing Wishing every show was the last show..." OK, a very tenuous link to Scotland and there was nothing very Scottish about this European band, even if they did find a mention for the self-styled "second city of the British Empire". Who were they?

Answer: Abba

"Super Trouper beams are gonna blind me
But I won't feel blue
Like I always do
'Cause somewhere in the crowd there's you..."
Abba were perhaps the biggest selling Continental European band of their time. The Swedes had numerous Number One hits in the UK and were also hugely popular in Australia.
"Super Trouper" as performed by Abba had a great pop melody, but another Swedish Band, Club 8, often performed an acoustic version in concert. Check the Internet for a video of their stripped-down version.

10. "In Scotland's story I read that they came The Gael and the Pict, the Angle and Dane But so did the Irishman, Jew and Ukraine They're all Scotland's Story and they're all worth the same..." Scotland has always been a melting point for immigrants. Which singing brothers did not have to walk a thousand miles to declare that particular truth?

Answer: The Proclaimers

The Proclaimers, twins Charlie and Craig Reid, were born in Leith near Edinburgh in 1962. Their biggest hits were "Letter from America" and "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" ("But I would walk 500 miles/And I would walk 500 more/Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles/
To fall down at your door.")
The former was a UK Number three in 1987 and the latter a UK number 11 in 1988 and a UK Number one in 2007. It was also a US Number three first time around.

Source: Author darksplash

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Scotland has a rich heritage of music and culture. This quiz blends traditional and modern songs about Scotland, or by Scots.

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