Tom Alexander (1934– 10 January 2020) and Jack Alexander (1935–2 November 2013) were born in Cambusnethan, near Wishaw. On leaving school in the early fifties, the brothers pursued a trade as painters and decorators by day, and entertainers by night, and spent most of their spare time performing for elderly people in hospitals and for various charitable institutions in and around their hometown. In the spring of 1958, they entered a talent contest which was held in their local cinema. They won the contest "hands down" and one of the judges (who was a well known Scottish Theatrical Agent) was so impressed, he placed the boys under contract that summer. They made their professional debut at the Webster Hall, Arbroath. It was during this season that they received their first long term contract for five Winter Seasons at Glasgow's famous Metropole Theatre. Following Arbroath they were engaged to appear at the Metropolitan Theatre, Edgeware Road, London, and it was during this season they were spotted and signed to Pye Records. They cut their first LP six weeks later.
Their biggest hit single was "Nobody's Child" in 1964. It sold more copies in Scotland that year than did recordings by The Beatles. Their other hits include "These are My Mountains", "The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen", "Bonnie Wee Jeannie McColl", and "Two Highland Lads". They toured Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. They appeared at the Sydney Opera House with Jimmy Shand as a guest, and have also played in Carnegie Hall in New York.
The brothers' fame and popularity probably peaked in the late 1960s, after which Scottish folk music began to lose its mainstream appeal and their audience dwindled. However, the Alexander Brothers experienced something of a revival in the mid 1990s when they began to release music videos, and later DVDs, to supplement their live performances. These new recordings contained many religious or devotional songs.
In recognition of their contributions to the world of music, they received MBEs from the Queen in the 2005 New Year Honours List . The ceremony took place in Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh.
Their most recent albums were produced by the Kilsyth-based company Scotdisc.
http://www.alexanderbrothers.com/
Scotland The Brave
The Alexander Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hear, hear the pipes are calling
Loudly and proudly calling
Down through the Glen.
There where the hills are sleeping
Now feel the blood a-leaping
High as the spirits
Of the old highland men.
Towering in gallant fame
Scotland my mountain hame
High may your proud standards
Gloriously wave!
Land of my high endeavor
Land of the shining river
Land of my heart forever
Scotland the brave!
High in the misty highlands
Out by the purple islands
Brave are the hearts that beat
Beneath Scottish skies
Wild are the winds to meet you
Staunch are the friends that greet you
Kind as the light that shines
From fair maiden's eyes.
Towering in gallant fame
Scotland my mountain hame
High may your proud standards
Gloriously wave!
Land of my high endeavor
Land of the shining river
Land of my heart forever
Hark, hark the night is falling
Hear, hear the pipes are calling
Loudly and proudly calling
Down through the Glen.
There where the hills are sleeping
Now feel the blood a-leaping
High as the spirits
Of the old highland men.
Towering in gallant fame
Scotland my mountain hame
High may your proud standards
Gloriously wave!
Land of my high endeavor
Land of the shining river
Land of my heart forever
Scotland the brave!
The Alexander Brothers' song "Scotland the Brave" is a patriotic song that expresses love and admiration for Scotland. The first stanza describes a scene where the night is falling and the kilts clad Scottish pipers are playing their pipes down through the hills, invoking a feeling of pride in the listener. The second stanza talks about the brave hearts of the Scottish people who reside in the Highlands and the Islands, and the spirit of their friends who greet them. The final stanza is a repetition of the first.
This song is a heartfelt tribute to the Scottish people and their country. The song celebrates Scotland's scenic beauty, culture and character, and the bravery of its people. The lyrics of the song inspire a sense of pride and patriotism in the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
Hark, hark the night is falling
Listen, listen, as the night approaches
Hear, hear the pipes are calling
Listen, listen, to the sound of the bagpipes
Loudly and proudly calling
As they play loudly and with pride
Down through the Glen.
Echoing down the valley
There where the hills are sleeping
In the place where the hills lie still
Now feel the blood a-leaping
Feel your blood stir with excitement
High as the spirits
As high as the spirits
Of the old highland men.
Of the brave, ancient Highlanders
Towering in gallant fame
Rising in noble glory
Scotland my mountain hame
Scotland, my mountain home
High may your proud standards
May your proud flags fly high
Gloriously wave!
In a glorious display
Land of my high endeavor
The land where I strive for greatness
Land of the shining river
The land with sparkling rivers
Land of my heart forever
The land that forever holds my heart
Scotland the brave!
Scotland, the land of the bold and courageous!
High in the misty highlands
Up in the foggy mountains
Out by the purple islands
Out by the islands tinted with purple hues
Brave are the hearts that beat
Brave are the hearts that continue to beat
Beneath Scottish skies
Under the beautiful Scottish sky
Wild are the winds to meet you
The winds are untamed as they meet you
Staunch are the friends that greet you
Your friends are steadfast and true as they welcome you
Kind as the light that shines
As warm and gentle as the light reflecting off a fair maiden's eyes
From fair maiden's eyes.
Emanating from the loveliness of a fair maiden's eyes
Contributed by Alyssa P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@alisonliddell-c8l
Both so sadly missed God keep there music going cause it will be forever in my heart mine till i die
@alanbonney173
I'd recognize Kenneth McKellar anytime I like most other listeners know it's him he had the greatest voice
@stevebrasher2708
It's awesome. I love it. and that's coming from an Aussie lol
@breabyrne3604
2 BROTHERS BRILLIANT ALSO THEIR MUSIC DJ JOHNNY LEE 27 yrs aDJ IRELAND
@alisonball4759
This is not the Alexander Brothers. It's Kenneth McKellar.
@fhf794
Bruh, how'd you get this wrong? This is Kenneth McKellar's version.
@biblicalbroadcasting2639
It's braw!