MacLean began his career playing with the Tannahill Weavers in 1976. In the early '80s, he was briefly part of Silly Wizard. His solo career started in 1981. His first release was in 1983 with the album "Craigie Dhu", although he had already recorded other albums, such as "Snaigow" and "Fiddle", which were not released till much later. Perhaps his best-known track is "Caledonia", used for a Scottish Tourist Board advert, and very evocative of Scotland. Also well-known is "The Gael", from his 1990 album The Search, which was adapted by Trevor Jones as the main theme to the 1992 film Last of the Mohicans. MacLean's lyrics are fervently pro-Scottish; a recurring theme is the Highland Clearances. He also campaigns for the Aborigines and the native Americans.
MacLean lives in Dunkeld in Perthshire. The popular music bar in The Taybank Hotel, which displays MacLean ephemera and is a popular venue for folk music enthusiasts.
In 2011, MacLean was invested as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
More info: www.dougiemaclean.com
Homeland
Dougie MacLean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
here to end your days
And you love our running rivers and you love our
quaint little Highland ways
You sold your house in the city - you put it on the
market and you did so good
Now you've bought a little piece of something
misunderstood
But I'll tell you about the land that you play on
What you've gained is our ultimate loss
I'll tell you about the soil you decay on
I'll hold it up to you like the Fiery Cross
You love the view from your window and you'd go out
more but it always rains
You don't think much of the music or the tears in the
old man's sad refrains
You've bought yourself miles of tartan and you wear it
round your middle and you wear it on your head
You stand there a proud believer in a vision of the truth
that's long gone dead
But I'll tell you about the land etc.
Once these glens were full of people and the songs
and stories of their fathers of old
And there was peace and plenty and a horn of
whiskey when the weather grew cold
Then along came the great improvers and they
cleaned it up like only imperials could
They lined them up for transportation to the land of the
brave and the free and the good
But I'll tell you about the land etc.
Look to the south I tell you that the black man has it
cruel and hard
But you don't have to look any further that the rumble
of stones in our own backyard
And Oh sad the day and all that's left are a fading few
Yes Sir you may have paid good money for it but no it'll
never belong to you
But I'll tell you about the land etc.
The song 'Homeland' by Dougie MacLean is a poignant reflection on the devastating impact of colonialism on the Scottish Highlands. The song tells the story of a wealthy outsider who has bought a piece of land in the Highlands, and who believes he is living out a romanticized version of Scottish history. MacLean challenges this view by reminding the outsider of the violent and brutal history that lies behind the empty glens and the ruined crofts.
The lyrics paint a picture of a land that has been stripped of its people and its culture, and where the natural beauty of the landscape is a constant reminder of all that has been lost. The outsider wears tartan and enjoys the view from his window, but he is blind to the suffering that lies beneath the surface. MacLean reminds him that the land he is standing on is soaked in the blood of the Highland people who were forcibly removed from their homes and sent overseas, and that this tragedy can never be erased.
In telling this story, MacLean uses powerful imagery and poetic language to convey the depth of his emotional response to the destruction of his homeland. He invites the outsider to see past the sentimental vision of Scotland that has been sold to him, and to recognize the real cost of this myth. Through his music, MacLean offers a loving tribute to the people and the land that he holds so dear.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a stranger to these hills and you've come up
here to end your days
You are unfamiliar with the here, but decided to spend your remaining days here.
And you love our running rivers and you love our
quaint little Highland ways
You appreciate the beauty and simplicity of our way of living.
You sold your house in the city - you put it on the
market and you did so good
Now you've bought a little piece of something
that you don't understand and you've
misunderstood
You sold your city house at a high price, bought a new land you don't understand, and made a mistake in doing so.
But I'll tell you about the land that you play on
What you've gained is our ultimate loss
I'll tell you about the soil you decay on
I'll hold it up to you like the Fiery Cross
I will inform you that you are benefiting from our loss, using the soil of our land for your own purposes, and compare it to the Fiery Cross, as a symbol of protest.
You love the view from your window and you'd go out
more but it always rains
You don't think much of the music or the tears in the
old man's sad refrains
You enjoy the scenery from your window, although you don't like going out because of the constant rain. Also, you don't appreciate the music or folklore of the locals.
You've bought yourself miles of tartan and you wear it
round your middle and you wear it on your head
You stand there a proud believer in a vision of the truth
that's long gone dead
You bought kilts and wear them with pride, as if you are a true believer in something that is already gone.
Once these glens were full of people and the songs
and stories of their fathers of old
And there was peace and plenty and a horn of
whiskey when the weather grew cold
These valleys were once abundant with the people, their memories, stories, and their own way of life, where people found comfort and solace in whiskey when cold weather came.
Then along came the great improvers and they
cleaned it up like only imperials could
They lined them up for transportation to the land of the
brave and the free and the good
Then the imperialists arrived and destroyed the traditional way of life, with brutal efficiency, sending people to new lands for labor.
Look to the south I tell you that the black man has it
cruel and hard
But you don't have to look any further that the rumble
of stones in our own backyard
Even though the black man struggles in the south, our own land has its own struggles, such as the sound of stones being moved.
And Oh sad the day and all that's left are a fading few
Yes Sir you may have paid good money for it but no it'll
never belong to you
But I'll tell you about the land etc.
It is a mournful day that very few people remain, and even though you paid for it, this land will never really belong to you. And I will continue to tell you about the land.
Contributed by Carson B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.