Why can't Scots sing?

[daes0707]

Upfront - I post this as a Scotsman.

Why cant we sing? Before you jump in, think about it.

I was at Edinburgh v Munster on Friday and the only singing being done was by our friends from Munster - several stirring renditions of The Fields of Athenry. Wonderful! And the Edinburgh support? Nothing. A few half hearted chants of "ED-IN-BURGH; ED-IN-BURGH" (whith much acoustic support from the PA system)! Hardly Fields of Athenry!

Then there is Murrayfield. Now Flower of Scotland is a great folk song, but its a slightly melancholic song, and whilst I do love it, I can't honestly place my hand on heart and say that its in the same league as Ireland's Call, or La Marseillaise, or Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.

So is the reason we cant sing because we have no great stirring songs? I don't believe that. So is it just a case we haven't chosen an appropriate song?

Or is it something else? Is it the rugby watching class in Scotland? Are we just too stayed; too boring; too conservative, too dour?

Last year I was fortunate to be at the Scotland v England match at Murrayfield and I can honestly say if it wasn't for the PA system, there would have been no discernible Scottish singing (I think the SRU are also worried about this lack of atmosphere that's why the PA system is turned up to 100dB!). The English fans were in full voice with Swing Low (the origins of which we will gloss over for the purpose of this topic). They sounded great!

So come on fellow Scots men and women, lets find a song that inspires and can hold itself against our fellow nations, lets sing!

Lets stop getting the singing wooden spoon.

So the challenge:

Song suggestions for 70,000 people please, that will enthuse, stir, uplift and fire!

Scotland can sing!

 

[westernforce]

irelands call is a load of ****..flower of scotland is far superior

 

[munstermuffin]

irelands call is a load of ****..flower of scotland is far superior

100% agree here

 

[ALJ]

Dunno if I'd go as far as to say the Scots can't sing but I did comment to friends while watching the game that the Irish fans seemed far more vocal in their support than the Scots.

No idea why that would be.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

You can have Swing Low if you want it. Dreadful dirge.

Have to fess up to some Scottish roots here, but always amazed you don't hear more of Scotland the Brave, which I think is a brilliant piece of music. And if you don't like the original lyrics, you could always use the Corries comedy version. I think the Corries were also responsible for FoS.

Maybe its just a case of you only sing when you're winning....and you've just forgotten how. Get some pipers in the crowd, what's the Scottish equivalent of the Dax band?

 

[Will]

I think as a people we are fairly conservative and reserved. I'll admit that I do envy the Welsh and Irish and their happy ability to break into song, and I don't just mean at the rugby. I just don't think it's something that comes as naturally to as Scots who are generally more 'stoic'.

That said, I was giving it laldy singing Flower of Scotland as Laidlaw was lining up to take that last kick on Saturday.

 

[RedruthRFC]

You can have Swing Low if you want it. Dreadful dirge.

+1. I don't believe that England supporters deserve too much credit on these stakes. Endless repeats of the first verse of Swing Low Sweet Chariot does not a great nation of singers make, although I must admit that I allow myself a wry smile when it starts ringing out at an away stadium. When's the last time anything other than Swing Low was heard at an England game? I think England's problem as a singing nation is that too many of the songs traditionally sung by rugby supporters are regional. I fondly remember trips to Twickenham as a child to watch Cornwall play in the County Championship final - Blaydon Races from the Durham supporters in 1989, Ilkley Moor from the Yorkshire supporters and Trelawny, Camborne Hill, Lamorna, Lil Lize and too many others to list from the Cornwall supporters. All great songs, but all very regional as opposed to Wales and I believe Ireland whose songs transcend regions.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I think as a people we are fairly conservative and reserved. I'll admit that I do envy the Welsh and Irish and their happy ability to break into song, and I don't just mean at the rugby. I just don't think it's something that comes as naturally to as Scots who are generally more 'stoic'.

That said, I was giving it laldy singing Flower of Scotland as Laidlaw was lining up to take that last kick on Saturday.

Pretty much that. Scottish football fans are generally the same (for non-sectarian songs at least). Particularly in Edinburgh. Go to a Hearts match and it's really quiet. It's a little bit of a shame but I think the impact of crowd noise on team performance can be exaggerated.

 

[hermanshire]

The Scots should hire Gianluigi Buffon as a song teacher

 

[ALJ]

Pretty much that. Scottish football fans are generally the same (for non-sectarian songs at least). Particularly in Edinburgh. Go to a Hearts match and it's really quiet. It's a little bit of a shame but I think the impact of crowd noise on team performance can be exaggerated.

I dunno - I've been to quite a few Celtic games and they make plenty of noise (although to be fair they are usually winning )).

 

[welshglory]

I can't really comment on the quality of singing but when the Scots started singing loch Lomond in the Ireland match it legitimately gave me goosebumps, more so than the Irish singing fields of athenry as that is so common (sorry guys). The Scots do have some beautiful songs.

On the subject of spur of the moment chanting and singing I think it has more to do with class/culture in the UK/Ireland in particular. Rugby has predominantly been a spectator sport for the middle classes and above and that culture of singing and strong support isn't really there in those aspects of society. Look at certain regions in Ireland/England and Scotland. Football clubs and rugby league have always traditionaly had large vocal support.

Singing as far as rugby union goes has usually been limited to drunken rugby club songs and national folk songs for the national side. There really isn't that culture of singing and creating new songs as supporters as say football and even rugby league.