A Man's a Man for A' That

Song

"A Man's a Man for A' That"

Song
Songwriter(s)	Robert Burns

"A Man's a Man for A' That", also known as "Is There for Honest Poverty" or "For A' That and A' That", is a 1795^[1] song by Robert Burns, written in Scots and English, famous for its expression of egalitarian ideas of society, which may be seen as expressing the ideas of republicanism that arose in the 18th century.

The song made its first appearance in a letter Burns wrote to George Thomson in January 1795. It was subsequently published anonymously in the August edition of the Glasgow Magazine, a radical monthly.^[2] Thomson later included it in the fourth volume of his Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs, giving it the title "The Honest Man the Best of Men".^[3]

Scottish folksinger Sheena Wellington sang the song at the opening of the Scottish Parliament in May 1999.^[4]^[5] Midge Ure did the same in July 2016.^[6] The song was also sung at the funeral of Donald Dewar, the inaugural First Minister of Scotland. "Trotz alledem" [de], a German translation of the song written by Ferdinand Freiligrath, was widely used during the Revolutions of 1848.

The words "pride o' worth" appear on the crest of the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Poem

Is there, for honest poverty,

That hangs his head, and a' that?

The coward slave, we pass him by,

We dare be poor for a' that!

For a' that, and a' that,

Our toils obscure and a' that,

The rank is but the guinea's stamp,

The man's the gowd for a' that.

What though on hamely fare we dine,

Wear hoddin grey, and a' that;

Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine,

A man's a man for a' that:

For a' that, and a' that,

Their tinsel shew, and a' that,

The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,

Is king o' men for a' that.

Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord,

Wha struts and stares and a' that;

Tho' hundreds worship at his word,

He's but a coof for a' that:

For a' that, and a' that,

His ribband, star, and a' that,

The man o' independent mind,

He looks and laughs at a' that.

A prince can make a belted knight,

A marquis, duke, and a' that;

But an honest man's aboon his might,

Gude faith, he maunna fa' that!

For a' that, and a' that,

Their dignities and a' that;

The pith o' sense, and pride o' worth,

Are higher rank than a' that.

Then let us pray that come it may,

As come it will, for a' that,

That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth,

May bear the gree, and a' that!

For a' that, and a' that,

It's coming yet for a' that,

That man to man, the warld o'er,

Shall brothers be for a' that.^[3]

Recordings

Earl Robinson covered it on his 1963 album Earl Robinson Sings
The Corries played it on Scotland Will Flourish, their 1985 live album
The McCalmans played it on their 1993 album "Honest Poverty" -an album title also drawn from the song.^[7]
The Old Blind Dogs covered this song on their 2001 album Fit?
Paolo Nutini covered this song for BBC Scotland at the Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, in 2007
Marc Gunn covered it on his 2013 album Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion
The Mudmen covered it on their 2012 album Donegal Danny
Dougie MacLean covered it on his 1995 album Tribute
Andy M. Stewart covered it on his 1991 album "The Songs of Robert Burns" as "Is There for Honest Poverty"

References

^ A Man's A Man For A' That, Burns Country
^ Ferguson, J. De Lancey (1985). Roy, G. Ross (ed.). The Letters of Robert Burns. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 336. ISBN 0-19-812321-3.
^ ^a ^b Thomson, George (n.d.). A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs for the Voice. Vol. 4. London: T. Preston. Air No. 163.
^ "Scottish Parliament Opening: In tune with the people". BBC News. 1 July 1999. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
^ A Man's A Man For A' That (Opening of Scottish Parliament) - Sheena Wellington. youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
^ Midge Ure performs the Robert Burns song "A Man’s a Man for A’ That". youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
^ The McCalmans, A Man's A Man for 'A That, retrieved 2024-02-27