Letter From America

It's about the highland clearances in Scotland when many residents of the highlands were cleared out of their homes. Many emigrated to the United States.

I think it's more about immigration and the "brain drain" to other countries.

The song was written in the 1980's at the height of Thatcherism.

It starts with the emigration of Scots to America as Pheonix935 says and then turns to the then political situation with the loss of industrial factories such as those at Bathgate and Linwood to make a comparison between times past and contemporary.

Despite not being a Hibbee, i quite like this song, its about the Highland Clearances and the dream of going to America/Canada, or at least Scottish migration there. Coincidentally, i am currently writing an essay on Scottish emigration during the 18th and 19th centuries!

the song shows that little has changed from the Highland clearances in the 17 and 1800's to present day. Scots are still forced overseas to realise their dreams. Which has greatly enriched the cultures and economies of the destination countries.

"Strathnaver" by Colin Campbell is a song about the Highland Clearances, and I think this song makes more of a parallel between the enforced clearances of the 18th/19th centuries, and the systematic decimation of Scottish heavy industry under the Thatcher government.

Either way, it's bloody heartbreaking.....

Though obviously about Scottish emigration (whether the Clearances or otherwise), it does capture the heartbreak of emigration in general. Emigration, especially when forced and on a relatively large scale, is such a heartbreaking experience for all. A story that is still ongoing of course amongst many peoples around the world. There are many songs written with this heartbreaking sentiment, this isn't a bad one.

We should have held you, we should have told you But you know our sense of timing we always wait too long Being a Scot this is too true

Do we have to roam the world to prove how much it hurts? And that