Scotland’s Story – Theater het Kielzog

Scotland’s Story

“We’re all Scotland’s story and we’re all worth the same” Beautiful words from this song, we loved it so much that we decided to call our latest record Scotland’s Story and name the 2021/2022 theater shows after this album.

It is also a little personal to David Myles, as some people might know his father is from Scotland, so part of his story started there. So now we have haggis and bagpipes in the Netherlands.

In the words of William, Scotland welcomes everyone and everyone contributes to the story of Scotland. Everyone contributes to the culture of Scotland in every possible way, Haggis is no longer just the national dish, William enjoyed Pizza and Shawarma there.

Background Information Scotland’s Story

Originally by The Proclaimers, a version of this song was played at Nelson Mandela’s 1993 welcome to the city of Glasgow after this release from prison. He was given the symbolic keys to the city 12 years earlier in 1981 while still in prison. The special visit was a wonderfull occasion for much singing and dancing, the dancing was done by Nelson Mandela himself on stage at a rally for freedom.

Nelson Mandela’s Welcome to the city of Glasgow is the tune we are playing on the bagpipes at the end of the song. A totally brilliant tune by Blair Douglas who was a founder member of Runrig. We connected the lyrics by the Proclaimers by accident to this tune and we ended up with a wonderfull song and a great story.

Lyrics Scotland’s Story

Michael McGrory from west Donegal
You came to Glasgow with nothing at all
You fought the landlord then the Africa Korps
When you came to Glasgow with nothing at all

Abraham Caplan from Vilnius you came
You were heading for New York but Leith’s where you’ve stayed
You built a great business which benefits all
Since you came to this land with nothing at all

In Scotland’s story I read that they came
The Gael and the Pict, the Angle and Dane
But so did the Irishman, Jew and Ukraine
They’re all Scotland’s story and they’re all worth the same

Joseph D’Angelo dreams of the days
When Italian kids in the Grassmarket played
We burned out his shop when the boys went to war
But auld Joe’s a big man and he forgave all

In Scotland’s story I’m told that they came
The Gael and the Pict, the Angle and Dane
But where’s all the Chinese and Indian names?
They’re in my land’s story and they’re all worth the same

Christina McKay, I learned of your name
How you traveled south from Delny one day
You raised a whole family in one room they say
And the X on the line stands in place of your name

So in the old story I’ll bet that I came
From Gael and Pict and Angle and Dane
And a poor migrant girl who could not write her name
It’s a common old story but it’s mine just the same

All through the story the immigrants came
The Gael and the Pict, the Angle and Dane
From Pakistan, England and from the Ukraine
We’re all Scotland’s story and we’re all worth the same
Your Scotland’s story is worth just the same

Scotland’s Story is available on CD and Vinyl

Our record at Plato!

Our wonderful record at our local record store: Plato in Groningen just received some Scotland’s Story albums! These lovers of vinyl took one look at it and immediately said: “good quality vinyl and great artwork as always with Rapalje!”

So if you are ever in Groningen, visit Plato at Oude Ebbingestraat 41 and maybe they will be playing Scotland’s Story in the store for you. Of course you can also get it in our online shop, if you want to have one of your own as soon as possible.

Buy Scotland’s Story on Vinyl here

Livestream Saturday October 10

Unfortunately our performances in Berlicum and Bladel are not possible due to the Covid measures, so we are going to live stream again. On the border between the Netherlands and Germany, so we can wave to William, he lives in Germany and like this we can still play together, you could say a borderline case =)

We hope to see you all this Saturday, October 10 at 4:00 PM CET. See you then! Live on Facebook & YouTube

Support us at https://rapalje.com/stream

Help David support the cultural sector: https://rapalje.com/donation

Shop for beautiful Rapalje products: https://rapalje.com/shop/

Come and see us in person: https://rapalje.com/agenda/

Caledonia – RTV Drenthe

Caledonia

Rapalje plays Caledonia here between the Hunebedden in Drenthe, with RTV Drenthe they went out to Hunebed het Loon (D15) to record the song “Caledonia”. This is one of the most requested songs at Rapalje.

We have seen many tears of sorrow, emotion and joy with this song. It has often happened that a wedding proposal is made when we start playing Caledonia. It is also regularly performed at funerals. There are many people in our midst who have a special thought about Caledonia and it remains a very beautiful song.

Background Information Caledonia

Dougie MacLean’s love song to his homeland has become an anthem of Scottish pride but it was written in just 10 minutes on a beach in France when he was in his early 20s.  “I wrote it in my very early 20s on a beach and then finished it off in a youth hostel somewhere around Paimpol in Brittany. “I was genuinely homesick and it was just a little song I wrote.” Dougie MacLean says he had been busking around Europe with three Irish guys but the day after writing the song – with its lyric “Caledonia you’re calling me and now I’m going home” – he set off back to Scotland.

Lyrics Caledonia

I don’t know if you can see
The changes that have come over me
In these last few days I’ve been afraid
That I might drift away
I’ve been telling old stories, singing songs
That make me think about where I came from
And that’s the reason why I seem
So far away today
Let me tell you that I love you and that I think about you all the time
Caledonia you’re calling me and now I’m going home
If I should become a stranger you know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia’s been everything I’ve ever had
I have moved and I’ve kept on moving
Proved the points that I needed proving
Lost the friends that I needed losing
Found new ones on the way
I have kissed the ladies and left them crying
Stolen dreams, yes there’s no denying
I have traveled hard with conscience flying
Somewhere with the wind
Let me tell you that I love you and that I think about you all the time
Caledonia you’re calling me and now I’m going home
If I should become a stranger you know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia’s been everything I’ve ever had
Now I’m sitting here before the fire
The empty room the forest choir
The flames that couldn’t get any higher
They’ve withered now they’ve gone
But I’m steady thinking my way is clear
And I know what I will do tomorrow
When the hands are shaken and the kisses flow
Then I will disappear
Let me tell you that I love you and that I think about you all the time
Caledonia you’re calling me and now I’m going home
If I should become a stranger you know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia’s been everything I’ve ever had

Buy this album now

Music between the Hunebedden

 

Seeing them makes you think you walked in the movie Braveheart, hearing them and you can imagine yourself walking in the Highlands. The four men of Rapalje, for a quarter of a century they have been playing their music, Celtic Folk with a twist. On the future of the Rapalje they are very clear. “Another 25 years”

We recorded this video with RTV Drenthe in between the Hunebedden (Dolmen) for the show Djammen by Robbert Oosting.

Hunebed D15 is located north of the village of Loon in the Dutch province of Drenthe. The medium-sized hunebed D15 is located on the Looner es between Loon and Taarlo.

Check out the complete RTV Drenthe interview with Rapalje

This Saturday, Finally @ Dieb

 

This Saturday, Finally @ Dieb, we hope to see you all in the stream!

 

We planned a livestream at Dieb before but had to cancel it as Dieb was not feeling well yet, but now we are for sure going to be playing and talking with you in Diebs wonderful home, do you have any special requests for this stream?

See you at on October 3rd at 20:00! Live on Facebook & YouTube

 

Support us at https://rapalje.com/stream

Help David support the cultural sector: https://rapalje.com/donation

Shop for beautiful Rapalje products: https://rapalje.com/shop/

Come and see us in person: https://rapalje.com/agenda/

Birdshow Rapalje Zomerfolk 2019

Rapalje Zomerfolk 2019 had a very special final act, who are hidden behind these wonderful and strange birds, could it be David? Or perhaps some Zomerfolk artist? Maybe our Vana friends are involved? Questions questions, but we had a truely great time with this act, did you enjoy it too?

 

 

Wat zullen we drinken – Zomerfolk

We play “Wat zullen we drinken” here at our own Rapalje Zomerfolk Festival. It is one of our most famous songs and has been listened to many millions of times. We cannot remember how many times we have performed it ourselves, but it remains a very nice song. There is no band that performs it like this.

Background information “Wat zullen we Drinken”

A national anthem originally from Brittany, created in the late 1920s and written in 1929. Called “Son ar chistr”, the song of the cider. It was popularized by farmers when it was sung at the end of harvest time to make fun of themselves. The lyrics in Breton are about a man who has a hard time when his wife beats and curses him all the time. But, as the lyrics said, “Cider is made to drink, and girls to love!” Ar chistr ‘so graet’ vit bout evet, hag ar merc’hed ‘vit bout karet!

Wat zullen we drinken has already been translated into many languages ​​and in the Netherlands the version of Rapalje, Wat zullen we drinken, became very popular. Rapalje has stripped the song of its political significance in his own Celtic way and added three verses of their own hand, eating, singing and making love. Bots has also released a version of the original called “Zeven dagen lang” and there are already many artists who have released the old national anthem.

Lyrics Wat zullen we Drinken

Wat zullen we drinken, zeven dagen lang
Wat zullen we drinken, wat een dorst
Wat zullen we drinken, zeven dagen lang
Wat zullen we drinken, wat een dorst

Er is genoeg voor iedereen, dus drinken we samen
Sla het vat maar aan, dus drinken we samen, niet alleen
Er is genoeg voor iedereen, dus drinken we samen
Sla het vat maar aan, dus drinken we samen, niet alleen

Eerst zullen wij werken, zeven dagen lang
Eerst zullen wij werken, voor elkaar
Eerst zullen wij werken, zeven dagen lang
Eerst zullen wij werken, voor elkaar

Dan is er werk voor iedereen, dus werken we samen
Zeven dagen lang, werken we samen, nee, niet alleen
Dan is er werk voor iedereen, dus werken we samen
Zeven dagen lang, werken we samen, nee, niet alleen

Eerst zullen wij vechten, maar niemand weet hoe lang
Eerst zullen wij vechten, voor ons belang
Eerst zullen wij vechten, maar niemand weet hoe lang
Eerst zullen wij vechten, voor ons belang

Voor het geluk van iedereen, dus vechten we samen
Samen staan we sterk, vechten we samen, niet alleen
Voor het geluk van iedereen, dus vechten we samen
Samen staan we sterk, vechten we samen, niet alleen

Eerst zullen wij eten, zeven gangen lang
Eerst zullen wij eten, dus schuif maar aan
Eerst zullen wij eten, zeven gangen lang
Eerst zullen wij eten, dus schuif maar aan

Voor het genot van iedereen, dus eten we samen
Snij het zwijn maar aan, eten we samen, schuif maar aan
Voor het genot van iedereen, dus eten we samen
Snij het zwijn maar aan, eten we samen, schuif maar aan

Eerst zullen wij zingen, zeven verzen lang
Eerst zullen wij zingen, met elkaar
Eerst zullen wij zingen, zeven verzen lang
Eerst zullen wij zingen, met elkaar

Dit is een lied voor iedereen, dus zingen we samen
Zeven verzen lang, en zingen wij samen, ik niet alleen
Dit is een lied voor iedereen, dus zingen we samen
Zeven verzen lang, en zingen wij samen, ik niet alleen

Eerst wil ik vrijen, zeven nachten lang
Eerst wil ik vrijen met mijn lief
Eerst wil hij vrijen, zeven nachten lang
Eerst wil hij vrijen met zijn lief

Maar ik vrij niet met iedereen, dus vrij ik samen
Zeven nachten lang, vrij ik samen met mijn lief alleen
En ik vrij niet met iedereen, dus vrij ik samen
Zeven nachten lang, vrij ik samen en met mijn lief!

La la lala lay la, la la la la lay, la la lala lay la, la la lay
La la lala lay la, la la la la lay, la la lala lay la, la la lay
La la la lay, la lala lay, la lalala lay la, la la la la lay, la lalala lay la, la la lay
La la la lay, la lala lay, la lalala lay la, la la la la lay, la lalala lay la, la la lay

Eerst zullen wij drinken, dit lied duurt ons te lang
Eerst zullen wij drinken oh, wat een dorst!

Buy this album now