A Scottish Soldier
Encyclopedia
"A Scottish soldier" is a Scottish
folk song.
The lyrics were written by Andy Stewart
. The song is about a dying Scottish soldier, wishing to return to the hills of his homeland rather than die in Tyrol
. The song was one of two US chart entries by Andy Stewart. "A Scottish Soldier" reached no. 1 in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, spent 36 weeks in the UK Singles Chart in 1961 and was in the top 50 in the USA for over a year.
The tune, "The Green Hills of Tyrol", is a well-known melody in the Scottish bagpipe tradition and was transcribed by John MacLeod during the Crimean War
from “La Tua Danza Sì Leggiera,” a chorus part in the third act of Gioachino Rossini's 1829 opera Guglielmo Tell
(William Tell). Rossini adapted that tune from Alpine folk music.
This song was also the entrance theme of professional wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
folk song.
The lyrics were written by Andy Stewart
Andy Stewart (musician)
Andrew "Andy" Stewart MBE was a Scottish singer and entertainer.-Career:The use of tartan patriotism and stereotypical Scottish humour goes back to Sir Harry Lauder and music hall songs. In the 1960s this strand was continued by the entertainer Andy Stewart.He was born in Glasgow, Scotland in...
. The song is about a dying Scottish soldier, wishing to return to the hills of his homeland rather than die in Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
. The song was one of two US chart entries by Andy Stewart. "A Scottish Soldier" reached no. 1 in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, spent 36 weeks in the UK Singles Chart in 1961 and was in the top 50 in the USA for over a year.
The tune, "The Green Hills of Tyrol", is a well-known melody in the Scottish bagpipe tradition and was transcribed by John MacLeod during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
from “La Tua Danza Sì Leggiera,” a chorus part in the third act of Gioachino Rossini's 1829 opera Guglielmo Tell
William Tell (opera)
Guillaume Tell is an opera in four acts by Gioachino Rossini to a French libretto by Etienne de Jouy and Hippolyte Bis, based on Friedrich Schiller's play Wilhelm Tell. Based on the legend of William Tell, this opera was Rossini's last, even though the composer lived for nearly forty more years...
(William Tell). Rossini adapted that tune from Alpine folk music.
This song was also the entrance theme of professional wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.