Research reveals many Scots don’t know national anthem
RESEARCH data by Specsavers has revealed a staggering amount of Scots don’t know the words to the nation’s favourite football chants and songs.
From the national anthem ‘Flower of Scotland’ and classics like ‘Loch Lomond’ to recently adopted favourites like ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’, many Scotland fans either don’t know the songs or are mishearing the lyrics.
As the Official Eye and Ear Care Partner of the Scottish FA, Specsavers recently put supporters’ knowledge to the test.
Via a Censuswide survey[1] and interviews outside of Hampden ahead of the Scotland men’s national team’s crucial match against Croatia, the responses threw up some shocking and surprising results.
Among the most surprising was the lack of knowledge of Baccara’s ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’, with over half of Scots (55%) not knowing the lyrics to the 70s disco hit and recent fan favourite from the terraces.
Almost a third (30%) believe the lyrics to the chorus are: ‘Yes sir, I can boogie, if you play you can’t go wrong’. The actual lyrics are ‘if you stay you can’t go wrong’.
Over a third of Scots (34%) don’t recognise former national anthem ‘Scotland the Brave’, with one eighth of Scots believing the lyric ‘now feel the blood a-leaping’ is actually ‘now feel the floods are creeping’.
Nearly one fifth of Scots (17%) believe the Gaelic verse in ‘Loch Lomond’ ‘Ho, ho mo leannan, ho mo leannan bhoidheach’ means ‘let’s go home, let’s go home together’.
However, A quarter of the people from the Highlands and Islands and Inverness correctly identified the lyrics as ‘my sweetheart, my beautiful sweetheart’.
Most shockingly, almost a quarter of Scots aged 35-44 (23%) don’t recognise the national anthem at all.
Presenter Beth Wallace took to Hampden ahead of the Croatia match to find out if the core Tartan Army support could do any better. However, many also struggled to find the right words.
With answers ranging from ‘if you stay, you will be mine’ for ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ to ‘not a scooby’ as a response for the lyrics to ‘Loch Lomond’, it’s fair to say the fans didn’t perform as well as the team on the pitch that evening as Steve Clarke’s team earned a significant 1-0 win to increase their chances of a Pot 1 place for the World Cup Qualifying draw.
However, plenty of supporters did themselves and the country proud as they correctly recounted the lyrics with that famous Scottish gusto, before going on to roar the national team to victory at a packed Hampden stadium.
Jenny Stephenson, Divisional Chair for Scotland, said: ‘Keeping on top of your hearing health with regular checks and not overexposing yourself to loud noises is of paramount importance to your overall wellbeing.
‘Specsavers encourages everyone, particularly the raucous Tartan Army, to get their ears checked on a regular basis to avoid further complications in the future.
‘Not only is it good for your health, it means you’ll be able to hear our famous Scottish symphonies loud and clear at matches.’
As the Official Eye and Ear Care Partner of the Scottish FA, Specsavers is here to change lives through better sight and hearing, by making expert care accessible and affordable for all.
Hearing loss is experienced by millions of people in the UK and affects people of all ages. Everyone’s hearing is unique.
That’s why Specsavers carries out comprehensive hearing tests to better understand each person’s individual hearing profile. It also means Specsavers’ hearing experts can help people find the right hearing aids to rediscover the sounds they may be missing.
Visit www.specsavers.co.uk or go in store to book an appointment with one of our expert audiologists.