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Beyond the Stars Ian Rae · Album · 2021 · 15 songs.

Try the 2 finger lockdown challenge

74 Year Old Scotsman Teaches Himself To Play Danny Boy During Lockdown Using Only Two Fingers In an attempt to stay sane during the long lockdown months, Ian Rae has actually taught himself to play Danny Boy on the piano using two fingers. It has tak...

It's a while since I produced my last Tribute To Burns poem. For those of you who were astounded by the likeness of Tae a Curry, Tae a Password and Tae a Mobile Phone to Burns' originals, here is another one inspired by Kim Hardcashian - Tae a Celebrity

Fame an' fortune's nae for me
I've never wished for celebrity
Like they HardCashians seeking fame
They're the ones we ought to blame
They "influence" folk in what they think
While my main influence was having a drink
Celebrity status my poems inspired
But noo for celebrity nothing's required
If you're talentless, unskilled but vain as can be
Why not be be a celebrity?

I think Burns would have approved

A wealth of information about Burns pls Tae a Curry, Tae a Password, Tae a Mobile Phone and Rae a Fitba' Be Scottish for a day

The life of Burns part 3 - Celebrity was destined not to last - at least not in his lifetime. Times were hard and, against his conscience, he took up the post of Excise Officer in Dumfries. Soon, however, it became obvious that ill health was not only going to prevent him working as an Excise Officer, but was bring an abrupt end to his life.

Just as he had begun his life in poverty, he died in poverty on 21st July 1796, aged just 37. The previous week had been spent writing letters, begging money from some of his friends, in order to pay his debts.

His friends provided the money to pay for a full military funeral on July 25th of that year. His wife Jean didn't attend - at the time she was giving birth to his ninth child. So ended a life which has now been celebrated around the world, for 260 years, on the 25th of January.

A well known traditional Burns' song

A technique often used by Burns was to take a scene from nature and then use it as a metaphor - the best laid schemes. In Ye Banks and Braes he uses nature to introduce the thoughts of love that has been lost.

Ye banks and braes o' Bonnie Doon,
How can ye bloom sae fresh and fair?
How can ye chant ye little birds,
And I sae weary, fu' o' care?
Ye'll break my heart, ye warbling birds,
That wanton through the flow'ry thorn,
Ye mind me o' departed joys,
Departed never to return.

Aft hae I rov'd by Bonnie Doon,
To see the rose and woodbine twine:
And ilka bird sang o' its luve,
And fondly sae did I o' mine.
Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose,
Fu' sweet upon its thorny tree!
But my fause luver staw my rose,
But ah! he left the thorn wi' me.

If you look at the last two lines - translated as "But my false lover stole my rose but ah he left the thorn in me" - the metaphor implies that her lover stole her virginity and left her pregnant - something that Burns was well acquainted with!

Last minute sheet music and backing tracks for 12 Robert Burns songs available on SheetMusicPlus - https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/search?Ntt=ian+rae+robert+burns

Burns, Banks and Braes Ian · Album · 2014 · 10 songs.

The life of Burns Part 2 - 1784 was a bad year for Burns. The farm was failing, there was scandal arising from the birth of a baby to one of his girlfriends, and the church didn't approve. So he booked a passage to go to Jamaica to become an overseer on a slave plantation.

But before he went, his friends persuaded him to publish a book of his poetry and in July 1786 his poems were published and became an instant success.

Although I A C G M O O H was not even thought of, he became an instant celebrity and was wined and dined all over Scotland and even as far as London. In the next few years he would edit or produce over 300 songs, with top composers like Haydn and Beethoven being commissioned to provide the music.

However,the good years were not scheduled to last

For all you floundering at the Scots language in my "Tae A Fitba'" (To a Football) here is the translation in English

Fair fall your honest healthy face
Wee ball, as you, they all give chase
And when they score they all embrace
Like great big Jessies
As though it's worthy of a goal
Of Lionel Messi's

The crowd have come from miles around
All heading to the football ground
And filled the whole sky with the sound
Of horn and rattle
They're all prepared now up and down
To face the battle

We watch as around the pitch they fly
Falling down like dead men die
"Penalty!" the crowd all cry
But that's rejected
And soon it ends and half go home
With face dejected

But without you, wee ball I say
They wouldn't have a chance to play
What would they do each Saturday?
Wind rain or sun
Oh may we always have the balls to say
"We owe you one"

The best laid schemes o' mice and men gang aft agley

I had intended to write about another of Burns' songs, but this morning, on Twitter, there was an invite from BBC Off The Ball@offtheballbbc for people to write a Burns poem about football starting with "Fair fa' your honest sonsie face" Not being one to resist a challenge, I produced this one

Fair fa' your honest sonsie face
Wee baw as you, they a' gie' chase
And when they score they a' embrace
Like great big Jessies
As tho it's worthy o' a goal
O' Lionel Messi's

The crowd hae come frae miles aroon'
A' heading tae the fitba' groon'
An' filled the whole sky w' the soon'
O' horn and rattle
They're a' prepared noo up and doon
To face the battle

We watch as 'roon' the pitch they fly
Falling doon like deid men die
"Penalty!" the crowd a' cry
But that's rejected
An' soon it ends an' half g*e hame
Wi' face dejected

But withoot you, wee baw I say
They would'nae hae a chance tae play
Whit would they do each Seterday?
Wind rain or sun
Oh may we aye hae the baws to say
"We owe you one"

An English translation will follow very shortly