Song of the Day 2/15: The Proclaimers, “Cap in Hand”
Brexit has revived talk of Scottish independence, a topic that always reminds me of this song in which Scottish twins Charlie and Craig Reid proclaimed their support for cutting ties with England. They wrote this more than 30 years ago and still perform it today.
I saw the band on its first American tour in 1989, and this was the song in the set that stood out for its intense delivery. They weren’t just singing “I can’t understand why we let someone else rule our land” because it flows nicely. They meant it. Scottish nationalism even affected their decision to sing in their native accents. “It was a conscious thing,” Craig Reid said, “because we were singing about where we live, our experiences and it just felt stupid to sing in an English or American accent.”
Of course, the Proclaimers are famous for “500 Miles,” which has taken on a life of its own since it was used in the film “Benny and Joon” in 1993 — five years after it appeared on their 1988 LP “Sunshine on Leith,” which also included “Cap in Hand.” When “500 Miles” was re-released to take advantage of the movie it reached No. 8 in Billboard, the band’s only American chart appearance. “Cap in Hand” was released as a single in 2014, when it reached No. 62 on the UK charts.
Great songs on “Sunshine on Leith”
And yes. The Scots were totally fucked over by England on Brexit. If anything good comes out of Brexit it will be Scotland exiting the United Kingdom.
The Proclaimers are quite possibly the most popular group in Scotland as far as folkpop music goes. Their adherence to all things Scottish has endeared them to Scots everywhere.
There was a great movie out in 2013 based on the songs written by Craig and Charlie. Naturally, it was called “Sunshine on Leith.” Most of the movie takes place in Edinburgh, and it’s a far cry from the Edinburgh portrayed in “Trainspotting”! I don’t think that the movie “Sunshine on Leith” was ever released in the U.S., which is a pity, because it’s a paean to the city of Edinburgh. I’ve managed to acquire a couple of PAL copies of the DVD, which I watch once a year. Craig and Charlie have a cameo early in the movie.
I’m not a big fan of musicals where the music drives the plot, but in this case, the plot drives the music. There’s a great flash mob scene at the end on the steps of the National Gallery. You can probably guess which song they used!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWtfgqw8Xcw
The song “Sunshine on Leith” is worth a relisten. It’s a good one. A friend told me that it was always sung at parties, especially after everyone was in their cups!
Mike, I gotta borrow (rent) that DVD. I lived in Auld Reekie in 1985/86.
Hi, Jason,
You’re certainly welcome to borrow it. However, it is a PAL copy, and won’t play on any unconverted NTSC (US) DVD player. Many PCs are able to play a PAL DVD with some tweaking.
If you loved Auld Reekie, you’re going to love this movie! I was over twice in ’85, so we may have passed one another on Princes Street.
Where’d you stay? What was your local pub?
I worked at the High Street Hostel on Blackfriars right off the Royal Mile.
Hi, Jason,
I stayed with friends in St. Stephen Street, over in Stockbridge. I’d have to say that I spent most of my pub time at Sandy Bell’s (it was the Forrest Hill Pub back then, but it was Sandy Bell’s to everyone).
I was over for the Folk Festival in March of ’85, so I spent a lot of time in Teviot Hall for the after concert singalongs and sessions in the stairwells. I miss those days!
I came back over in May of ’85 for a few weeks. Stayed with the same friends, but took several trips out of town.
Oh lord I miss the music scene. Every night there was something somewhere. They were great days.
When I saw them back in ’89 I just hoped they would last long enough to put out another album, because their music was as hard to classify then as it is now. They’re popular in Europe and Australia as well as Scotland.
Hi, Alby,
I saw them at the Tin Angel a few years ago. I didn’t know that they did “Cap in Hand” as part of their song repertoire in the U.S., so I requested it. I left a note on the stage requesting the song, which I described as Scotland’s “other” national anthem. I was very happy when they did the song.