The fight for independence has begun The stand against the English tyranny Moray and Wallace lead us into battle The struggle of the Scots to be free
Spearmen and archers, horsemen and knights On Abbey Craig’s high ground we take our stand The English soldiers advance on our position They fight for their wages, we fight for our land
We stand across the Forth bearing arms The single narrow bridge our foe tries to cross We let half of them reach the soggy grounds Before our steel will cause them many a loss
(chorus) Blood will flow Let the river run red Blood will flow Let the river run red
Our first charge meets the enemy head Our second will cut off their desperate retreat We are outnumbered but our hearts are steel On this day we will achieve a glorious feat
We slaughter the English faster than they cross And under their weight we see the bridge give way Many soldiers drown, their army now in chaos With arrow, sword and spear many a foe we slay
Some English still push forward, others do retreat Their cavalry is powerless on the marshy field Relentless we strike against the hated enemy On this day we demonstrate that we will never yield
(chorus)
The retreating soldiers run into our schiltrons Our mighty pikes and poles obstruct their flight Mercilessly we drive them back into the river Now the English know the Scots’ defiant might
The battle now is over and a great victory is ours Soon all the foe’s strongholds in Scotland will fall A streak of victories will make Wallace a myth Many of our countrymen will heed freedom’s call
The long fight for sovereignty has only just begun From wounds sustained on this field Moray will die Eight years from now Wallace drawn and quartered But even his death will not smother our freedom cry
The wars of independence will go on for sixty years A valiant struggle for self-determination Many take up arms to fight the English tyrant The battle of today to be a lasting inspiration