Dougie MacLean - Craigie Dhu

Click here for the sheet music book featuring the song Caledonia.

(January 1983) 10 tracks: Gin I Were a Baron's Heir * Ready for the Storm * It Was A' for Our Rightfu' King * High Flying Seagull * Edmonton Airbus/Craigie Dhu * Bonnie Bessie Logan * Seaniar's Song * It Fascinates Me * Tullochgorum * Caledonia.

Perthshire singer and songwriter Dougie MacLean's best-selling album of Scottish traditional and self-penned songs and fiddle tunes.

The album includes the original recording of Dougie MacLean's worldwide hit Caledonia. When Caledonia was used in a beer commercial sung by Frankie Miller, it reached number 1 in the Scottish charts in 1992. It was subsequently used by the SNP for their election campaign, and Dougie was invited to perform it in front of 30,000 rugby fans at Murrayfield stadium.

Born in Dunblane, Perthshire in 1954 to a musical family, Dougie first joined the group Puddock's Well and then the Tannahill Weavers, also having a brief stint with Silly Wizard.

Dougie has composed theatre, TV and film soundtrack music. His songs have been covered by some of the world's leading roots singers, including Mary Black, Kathy Mattea and Dolores Keane, and his music for the movie Last Of The Mohicans earned him a Gold Disc. Sales of his other albums have earned him a further six Gold Discs. In 1997 he was voted Favourite Male Vocalist by listeners of US radio programme Thistle And Shamrock.

All titles composed and written by Dougie MacLean. With Martin Hadden (guitar), Patsy Seddon (harp), Jimmy Anderson (electric guitar).

"Exudes the warmth and intimacy we've come to expect from Dougie MacLean..." (FF Australia Magazine)

Lyrics to Caledonia (by Dougie MacLean):

I don't know if you can see
The changes that have come over me
And these past few days I've been afraid
That I might drift away
I've been telling old stories, singing songs
That make me think about where I come from
And that's the reason why I seem
So far away today

(chorus)
Let me tell you that I love you
That I think about you all the time
Caledonia you're calling me
Now I'm going home
And if I should become a stranger
No it would make me more than sad
Caledonia's been everything I've ever had

I have moved and I've kept on moving
Proved the points that I needed proving
Lost the friends that I needed losing
Found others on the way
I have kissed the ladies and left them crying
Stolen dreams yes there's no denying
I have travelled hard sometimes with conscience flying
Somewhere with the wind

Now I'm sitting here before the fire
The empty room, a forest choir
The flames have cooled, don't get any higher
They've withered now, they're gone
And I'm steady thinking my way is clear
And I know what I will do tomorrow
When the hands have shaken, the kisses flowed
I will dissappear