Flower anthem 'too militaristic'

Published on Tuesday 23 October 2007 01:04

THE Proclaimers have suggested Flower of Scotland should be dropped as a national anthem because it is too "militaristic".

Charlie and Craig Reid said many people were now put off by the song, which is regularly performed before Scottish football and rugby internationals.

Speaking on the first programme of a BBC Scotland TV series Scotland's Music, Charlie said a new anthem should celebrate "how great we are", rather than "how terrible they are".

He said that a new anthem for Scotland should "reflect the modern state of your nation and a modern country", but also suggested Robert Burns's Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation would be a perfect choice.

On the programme, due to be broadcast on 3 November, Charlie says: "I think if you write a song I suppose you'd want to reflect the modern state of your nation, a modern country. People get a bit put off with the 'trampling your enemy's blood into the dust' kind of thing.

"You want to get something that celebrates your country, but does it in a loving way rather than an aggressive way. Not in a militaristic way."

Burns wrote Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation in 1791. The "rogues" in the song were the 31 Scottish commissioners who signed the Act of Union of 1707.

• 'Scotland's Music' starts on 3 November on BBC2 Scotland.