I hear the voice, I hear the war
I hear the sound, on a distant shore
I feel the spirit of yesterday,
I touch the past, when the pipers play.
The pipes kept playing, for you and me
They kept on saying, we will soon be free
And your soul will never fade away
You’ll live forever, when the pipers play
The pibroch rears its deadly cry
Ah, some will live and some will die
And though they passed so far away
I feel their presence when the pipers play
The pipes kept playing, for you and me
They kept on saying, we will soon be free
And your soul will never fade away
You’ll live forever, when the pipers play
It speaks of love, I have lost
Its speaks of my eternal cost
It speaks the price of peace today
A price remembered, when the pipers play
We do remember when the pipers play
The pipes kept playing, for you and me
They kept on saying we will soon be free
And your soul will never fade away
You’ll live forever, when the pipers play
The pipes kept playing, for you and me
They kept on saying we will soon be free
And your soul will never fade away
You’ll live forever, when the pipers play
My late dad was in the Kings Own Scottish Borderers during WWII and took part in the D-Day Landings.
He says that the sound of the KOSB pipers gave him and his mates heart and their fear left them. The pipes were seen by many nations, the Germans and English among them, as weapons of war.
The chorus of the song is based on an eighteenth century tune called Waly Waly, the verses were written specially. Water is Wide was also based on Waly Waly.
pipersplay
This song and Flowers of the Forest were played at my husband's funeral. He has just heard them a week before his surgery and told me he wanted them played at his funeral and then a month later he died. I was blessed he had heard this.
When I was little, I used to stay a my grandparents every weekend. I remember watching this with both of them, and even then loving it. When I was ten, my grandma was diagnosed with cancer. After a few months she pased away. The night she died, my grandpa played this song on dvd. A year later, he sold the house and moved in with me. He too got cancer, and died on veterans day, 2011. My dad played the ong then. I still have the dvd. this song will always mean something to me.
This tear's yer heart out...very emotional tune. I've learned to play it in the last week...couple days on the chanter, then to the pipes. Beautiful, mournful tune!
My family is looking for the music (melody) to "A SONG FOR ST.CLAIR ON HIS DEPARTURE" by Archibald Stalker. Do you sing that? We have the words, but would also love to hear it!
Whenever I get emotional, for some reason, I try to get this song played in my head. It always lifts up my spirits. Same with the song "Scottish Soldier."
Isla's voice is as beautiful as it was from the first time I heard her sing in the Royal Hotel in Aberdeen at the folk club in the Sixties. Great tune Isla!