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Twa Scots Soldiers

from Reflections on War by Gary Miller

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Comes in a gorgeous digipak with a highly attractive 16-page full colour booklet including lyrics to all songs, beautiful individual full-colour track artwork (original paintings, drawings and sketches) and photos courtesy of York Museums Trust, individual track descriptions, CD liner notes by Gary Miller and Gaby Lees (York Art Gallery), photographs from the recording sessions featuring each individual session artist, photographs from the York Art Gallery workshop sessions, credits, etc.

    Includes FREE Postage for a limited time.

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    Please be aware that if you are ordering from outside the UK, due to reasons beyond our control, you may be liable for additional charges, e.g. customs tax. Please note: we will NOT refund payment for any items refused or returned to us due to non-payment of these charges at point of delivery.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Reflections on War via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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      £6.99 GBP

     

  • Streaming + Download

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about

Inspired by 'Two Soldiers in Kilts' 1914, a charcoal drawing by Eugene Alluard (1866-1947). The tune and a few of the words have been adapted and reworked from the traditional Scots folksong 'Twa Recruiting Sergeants'.

lyrics

TWA SCOTS SOLDIERS

Twa Scots soldiers enlisted fae France
Spurred on by Kitchener to take their chance
Against the Kaiser with a screech and a yell
And make him afraid o’ the Ladies From Hell

Dressed in khaki kilts and a fine pair of spats
Standing in line like real cool cats
Glengarry on each heid and a gun in each fist
What possessed these twa canny lads to enlist?

From Mons to Ypres all the way through the Somme
Would they be left standing when their mates are all gone
To look back and wonder how they ever returned hame
Or will they no’ come back again?

Twa sweethearts did they leave behind
To worry themselves nearly out of their minds?
“Dinnae fret me hinny just bide yer time
For we’ll both be back by Christmastime”

“Oh laddies ye dinnae ken the danger that ye’re in
Before ye’ve grown accustomed to the smoke and the din
O’ the rattle o’ machineguns and the whiz-bangs crashing loud
They’ll be wrapping yer wee bodies up in a shroud”

From Mons to Ypres…

One looks down and examines his gun
Will it keep him alive until the War is won?
The other stares ahead wi’ a pipe in his teeth
A young-old face, what thoughts lie beneath?

Is he thinking o’ his hame in the hills and glen?
Daydreaming o’ adventure wi’ the rest o’ the men?
Is he lost in premonition o’ the horrors ahead?
Does his spirit hear the pibroch sounding for the dead?

From Mons to Ypres…

(Gary Miller)

credits

from Reflections on War, released January 1, 2010
Gary Miller - vocals, acoustic guitars, mandolin, octave mandolin, percussion
Iain Petrie - bass, djembe, percussion, backing vocals
Arthur Cross - whistles, backing vocals
Rachel Cross - fiddle, backing vocals
Sheila Cross - backing vocals

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all rights reserved

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about

Gary Miller Durham, UK

Gary Miller first rose to international prominence with folk-punk/rock pioneers The Whisky Priests (1985-2002), founded with his twin brother Glenn - “the Joe Strummer and Mick Jones of Folk Music". He now performs as a solo artist and with his new band 'Gary Miller's Big Picture' whose debut album is coming soon. ... more

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