A Man's a Man for A' That

"A Man's a Man for A' That"
Song
Songwriter(s)Robert Burns

"A Man's a Man for A' That" is a song by Scottish poet Robert Burns, famous for its expression of egalitarianism.

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.[1] 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".[2]

Scottish folksinger Sheena Wellington sang the song at the opening of the Scottish Parliament in May 1999.[3][4] Midge Ure did the same in July 2016.[5] 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.

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Thomson, George (n.d.). A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs for the Voice. Vol. 4. London: T. Preston. Air No. 163.
  3. ^ "Scottish Parliament Opening: In tune with the people". BBC News. 1 July 1999. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.