Hearts of Glory
Craig Herbertson Lyrics

This is my story
I am going to share my experience

This is my song
This is the way I express myself

It's a long way from Gorgie
The journey from Gorgie is quite far

To the fields o' the Somme
To the battlefields in Somme

Where they played tunes of glory
Where they played inspiring music

As we marched along
While we were marching together

The pals o' the Sporting Battalion
The comrades of the Sporting Battalion

From the Heart of Midlothian
From the center of Midlothian

To the Waverly train
To the train station at Waverly

The crowds they were singing
The people were singing with enthusiasm

An auld Scots refrain
An old Scottish traditional song

Our sweethearts and darlings
Our loved ones and dear ones

Our bonnie wee bairns
Our beautiful little children

Were waving their flags
They were waving flags in support

And calling our names
They were shouting out our names

Sing Hearts of Glory
Let us sing about our courageous actions

Dawn and sunset
From morning till evening

Hearts of glory
Brave and honorable hearts

Lest we forget
So that we never forget

Young Scottish soldiers
Youthful soldiers from Scotland

And soldiers unknown
Soldiers whose identities are not known

Who gave hearts of glory
Who showed bravery and valor

In the trenches of Picardy
In the trenches located in Picardy

The whistles are blown
The signal for attack is given

And it's over the top lads
And we go over the top, my friends

Through the wire and the bombs
Navigating through barbed wire and explosive devices

To pain and destruction
Towards suffering and devastation

Let the piper play
Allow the bagpiper to lead us with music

To lead us to hell
To guide us into a hellish situation

To death and dismay
Towards death and despair

There was never a moment
There was never a time

I was not afraid
I was constantly filled with fear

But there by my side
But my fellow soldiers were beside me

Were the gallant McCrae's
Were the brave soldiers named McCrae

Until they fell in the slaughter
Until they died in the massacre

When the bayonets were out
When the bayonets were ready for use

And the few of us left
And the remaining few of us

Held the auld Scots Redoubt
Defended the old Scottish fortification

Ellis and Currie
Soldiers named Ellis and Currie

Briggs, Boyd, Hazeldean
Soldiers named Briggs, Boyd, and Hazeldean

Wattie and Nisbet
Soldiers named Wattie and Nisbet

He was only sixteen
He was just a sixteen-year-old

Their names I'll remember
I will always remember their names

At the end of each day
When each day comes to a close

They fought and died
They fought and lost their lives

Wi' Geordie McCrae
With Geordie McCrae

Who cared for the Kaiser
Who was concerned about the Kaiser

Or Imperial gains
Or gaining more territory for the Empire

Love of our country
Love for our nation

Duty or fame?
Is it about fulfilling our duty or seeking fame?

Between the whim of an airman
Caught between the desires of a pilot

And four feathers of shame
And the disgraceful act of cowardice

We fought for the pals
We fought for our friends

Of a wee fitba team
Of a small football team

And when it was over
And when the war came to an end

Just what had we done?
What had we accomplished?

There were no flags of glory
Nobody celebrated our heroic actions

For McCrae and his own
For McCrae and his companions

There were no graves for heroes
There were no burial sites for our brave soldiers

For our brothers and sons
For our siblings and children

Who sleep 'neath the flowers
Who rest underneath the flowers

In the fields of the Somme
In the battlefields of the Somme

Some came back as cripples
Some returned as disabled individuals

Some couldnae kick a ball
Some were unable to play football

Some wounded and broken
Some injured and shattered

Most came not at all
Most didn't return

But they remain in my memory
But they will always be remembered in my thoughts

Forever young
Eternally youthful

The pals o' the Sporting Battalion
The friends from the Sporting Battalion