A Man’s A Man by Robert Burns
 
Is there for honest poverty
That hings his heid an a’ that?
The coward slave we pass him by,
We daur be puir for a’ that
For a’ that, an a’ that
Our toils obscure an a’ that
The rank is but the guinea-stamp
The man¹s the gowd for a’ that
 
Whit though on hamely fare we dine
Wear hodden gray an a’ that?
Gie fules their silks an knaves their wine
A man¹s a man for a’ that
For a’ that, an a’ that
Their tinsel show an a’ that
The honest man though e¹er sae puir
Is king o men for a’ that
 
Ye see yon birkie ca’d a laird
Wha struts an stares an a’ that
Though hunders worship at his word
He¹s but a cuif for a’ that
For aa that, an a’ that
His riband star an a’ that
The man o independent mind
He looks an laughs at a’ that
 
A prince can mak a beltit knight
A marquis, duke an a’ that
But an honest man’s abune his might
Guid faith, he maunna fa’ that
For a’ that, an a’ that
Their dignities an a’ that
The pith o sense an pride o worth
Are higher rank than a’ that
 
Then lat us pray that come it may
As come it will for a’ that
That sense an worth ower a’ the earth
Sall bear the gree an a’ that
For a’ that, an a’ that
It’s comin yet for a’ that
That man tae man the warld ower
Shall brithers be for a’ that

”A Man’s, A Man” was the song sung by Sheena Wellington at the ceremony to commemorate the re-opening of the Scottish parliament in 1999. Did organisers have an irony bypass? What are we to make of it being sung in the presence of a monarch when it pours derision on the whole idea of title and wealth being used to measure a person’s worth?

The song was rather more appropriately used in 2003 when Colin Fox of the SSP sang it whilst taking the oath of loyalty after his election to Parliament - so appropriately that Colin was ordered out of the Chamber for defying Parliamentary convention!

French Revolution
Burns’ hymn to international brotherhood was written in 1794. Its words echoed the French Revolutionary Song ‘Ca Ira’ (literally, ‘It Will Come’, or as
Burns put it ‘It’s Coming Yet For A’ That’). We know that Burns was familiar
with Ca Ira because he almost lost his position as an Exciseman when he and his friends were accused of singing the song, in place of ‘God Save the King’ at the end of a performance in the Theatre Royal in Dumfries. Burns defence was similar to Clinton’s when questioned about smoking Marijuana, he admitted that he had remained seated during the national anthem but not to have joined in the singing of Ca Ira. By 1792 revolutionary France had already banned aristocratic titles and executed their king. Showing sympathy for such deeds at this time could not only lose a man his job but see him arrested and transported to Australia. Burns had already seen this happen to Thomas Muir, (1) the Edinburgh lawyer who had founded the Friends of the People. Burns sight of Muir in chains had indeed inspired his writing of ‘Scots Wha Hae’.

Therefore to produce this optimistic, revolutionary call to arms in 1794 took
the kind of courage later shown by those resisting fascism in the shadow of
the concentration camps. Although the poem appeared anonymously in various publications from 1795 onwards, Burns’ editor, George Thomson, was too frightened to issue the song under the poet’s own name until 1805, ten years after Burns’ death. But the song¹s story does not end there.

The Anti-Slavery Movement
Burns lyrics in ‘Is there for Honest Poverty’ draw heavily on the philosophy and writings of Tom Paine’s ‘Common Sense’ (e.g. ‘But pith o’ sense and honest worth are higher rank than a’ that’). But the song is more than an attack on wealth and privilege. It is a hymn to international brotherhood. No doubt the closing verse owes something to the French Revolution’s call for Liberte, Egalitie et Fraternitie but might something closer to home have inspired the song’s uplifting final line?

In 1787 William Wilberforce had begun campaigning against slavery. In 1791 Wilberforce’s first anti-slavery bill, which until then had commanded cross-party support, was defeated by the growing anti-radical conservatism of
Parliament engendered by the French Revolution. As we know Wilberforce did not give up after that initial set-back. By 1794 Burns must have been familiar with the cameo badge that Josiah Wedgewood had produced for the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. It showed a slave kneeling and asked ‘Am I not a man and a brother?'. Burns’ final lines can be read as a response to that question - 'That man to man the world o'er, shall brothers be for a' that.'

Frederick Douglass, the escaped slave and great leader of the American anti-slavery movement, seemed to think so. In 1845 Douglass was forced to flee the United States in the wake of the Supreme Court¹s Dredd-Scott decision which allowed excaped slaves to be forcibly returned to captivity. Douglass arrived in Liverpool to find widespread sympathy and support for the anti-slavery cause. During his time in Britain Douglass lived for several months in Scotland. Not coincidentally Douglass took his “free”, as opposed to slave name, from a character in Walter Scott’s writings - another doughty fighter for freedom, the “TheGood Sir James” or Black Douglas.

Douglass felt a real affinity o Scotland. In a letter from Dundee in 1846 he wrote – “I am now as you will perceive .... in Scotland, almost every hill, river, mountain and lake of which has been made classic by the heroic deeds of her noble sons. Scarcely a stream but has been poured into song, or a hill that is not associated with some fierce and bloody conflict between liberty and slavery “. Douglass also took the opportunity to make pilgrimages to Burns birthplace (Ayr) and grave in Dumfries and met with his sole surviving sister then aged 80.

After Douglass’ freedom had been purchased, by donation from the common folk of Britain, he returned to the United States. He was invited as Guest of
Honour to give the Immortal Memory at a Burns Supper in New York in 1847 and there said – “I repeat again, that though I am not a Scotchman, and have a colored skin, I am proud to be among you this evening. And if any think me out of my place on this occasion (pointing at the picture of Burns), I beg that the blame may be laid at the door of him who taught me that 'a man's a man for a' that”.

Germany
Burns’ songs were also extremely popular in Germany during the 19th century. Quite a few were translated and some were set to new music by Schubert and Beethoven. Ferdinand Freiligrath, a German poet, composed a version of “Is There For Honest Poverty” in 1843. A very faithful translation, “Trotz Alledem” (Trans: For All That), it was immediately banned by the authorities. When Freilgrath appealed the ban he was told, “the basic thought of the poem is absolutely true”, but nevertheless the censors upheld the decision to ban the poem due to its “wrong ideas of freedom”.

In 1848 there were revolutions in Germany and other parts of Europe. Many fine songs were written in the period (and a couple of decent books like The Communist Manifesto!). One of the most popular was Freiligrath’s new version of “Trotz Alledem”. Freiligrath used the same tune as in his 1843 Burns translation (the one that we also use), and the same structure, but the lyrics were completely new, telling the story of the failed revolution. This song became even more popular than the 1843 translation and, as you might have guessed, was immediately banned. Despite the ban the song remained popular amongst the German left and does so to this day.

In the aftermath of the slaughter of World War I new support flowed to those in the socialist movement who had opposed the war, and in 1919 the Spartacist uprising took place in Berlin in an attempt to emulate the revolution in Russia. The revolt was premature and failed, and two of its leaders, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, were arrested by the authorities and then handed over to the right-wing Friekorp. They were tortured, beaten and then executed without trial. When Karl Liebnecht was about to die he was asked if he had any last words. He chose to sing “Trotz Alledem”. In the face of certain death his last words were an expression of defiant hope :

We are the people, mankind are we,
everlasting are, for all that
For all that and all that,
draw near to us, for all that,
you hamper, but not finish us,
the world is ours, for all that. ( translated from the original German)

Millions of people have, like Douglass and Liebknecht, been inspired by “A
Man’s A Man’s” uplifting conclusion. The question for us today is whether we
can find the courage in life that Liebknecht displayed in death and genuinely
work together in brother, and sister, -hood to build a movement that can finally bring freedom to all of humanity. Perhaps as a first step on that path to freedom we can secure our own nation’s independence. Then we can build a nation where all are welcome and the worth of all men and women of every nationality and race is recognised. I’m certain that Burns, Douglass and Liebnecht would have no problems with that desire.

If bloggers want to hear the song at its best you¹ll find great versions of it on the LPs “I Am the Common Man” by the Laggan and “For A’ That” by Five Hand Reel (feat. Dick Gaughan) but there’s also an excellent version by Sheena Wellington on the CD “Hamely Fare” which, given the rarity of the others, might be your best bet.

 

Profile: Bill Scott is a former SSP delegate to the Independence Convention.  He has had a life-long interest in Scottish traditional music and currently tutors adult students in "Scottish History and Song".  He has also written a series of articles on "Radical Song" for the magazine "Frontline". He counts himself privileged to have met both Nan Milton (John MacLean's daughter) and Hamish Henderson when he was a young activist and to have had Hamish attend, and sing, at a number of events he later organised.
 
Bill says - "From Burns to Henderson our poets and songwriters have provided us with an image of what an Independent Scotland could be.  It's really up to us to make their dreams our reality". He has worked mainly in the Voluntary Sector for the past two decades and is presently employed as a Policy & Parliamentary Officer for a disabled people's organisation.