A SCOTLAND football anthem originally written during the 1998 World Cup has been released with new lyrics ahead of the team’s Euros outing.
Fans around the world, from Australia to Norway, have contributed to the rousing video accompanying the song.
In November Scotland qualified for the Euros, their first major tournament for 23 years.
With a number of matches to be held at Hampden and a fan zone being set up in Glasgow Green, the Tartan Army is gearing up for the major event.
READ MORE: Scottish rockers score with new anthem to celebrate national team in Euros
This week The LaFontaines put out their unofficial anthem for fans, Scotland, Bonnie Scotland, which samples Yes Sir, I Can Boogie – the song which defined the country’s qualification for the delayed competition.
Now music collective Scotch Embassy, whose members are based around the world, have rewritten and recorded Up an’ at ‘em using the power of the internet. The group also produced a music video containing clips drawn from a diaspora of Scots across the globe.
The track was first written by singer/songwriter Innes Forbes, now based in Portugal, when he was signed to Alan McGee’s Creation Records with the band Toaster in 1998.
Forbes recalled coming up with the tune during the contest 23 years ago. "We were drinking with friends and watching the World Cup, and after the game I was inspired to try and make up an anthem," he explained. "And this song came out, and it stayed etched in everyone’s brains for 23 years. People still remember it after this one performance that was improvised."
With lockdown restrictions stopping Scotch Embassy from gathering physically, Forbes, guitarist Thomas Polychuck in Canada, bassist and drummer Peter Cornwall and fiddle-player Claire Campbell updated the song for the all-important 2021 tournament.
READ MORE: Yes Sir, I Can Boogie: Scots band The Dirty Kilts cover disco hit for charity
The promotional video includes Scots including bagpiper Gordon Ferguson and Alister in Australia, Scotland fan Giampiero Sanguini playing a drum with handfuls of spaghetti in Rome, singer Sinclair Hutcheson in Dubai and American musician Mark Steiner in Norway, among others.
From his sister's home in the Algarve, Forbes spoke of his hopes for this year's Euros.
"I feel very optimistic because we’ve got a really strong squad, just about every player in that squad would be good in the team," he said.
"I would love for [Up an' at 'em] to be played in the stadium, that would be the ultimate dream – for it to become a fan-stomping classic," he told The National.
"It’s engineered for that so the whole stadium starts singing, and then it goes crazy in the middle section and goes to a fast surf-rock jig and the crowd are chanting ‘Scotland’ at the end really maniacally and everyone’s roused up for the victory over the English or whoever else they’re playing."
It's a few weeks yet before England and Scotland play at Wembley, but Forbes is looking forward to the night.
"It’s always exciting," the musician said. "Last time we had them for about two minutes, we were beating them 2-1 and that was the most exhilarating experience imaginable. And unfortunately then the hurricane – Harry Kane – put an equaliser in. Hopefully this time we can buck the trend that’s been depressing us for years."
You can buy Scotch Embassy's single here.
The lyrics are below:
It may just be the strongest team we’ve seen since years before
When Mcfadden unleashed
Scored a 40 yard peach
And the Parc de Prince did crumble
In the electric atmosphere
The Lion Rampant has no fear
The Roman Empire they came and they saw
But they could not conquer us
Upanatum
Up an at em
Get in, boys
Dig in, lads
We’re the tartan army fae the cities and farms eh Scotland
Fae Mctomminay tae John Mcginn
We’ve got players wi’ desire tae win
Stick yer Tikki McTakki
yer cattenacio
World leaders of the long baw here
We’re no too wee and we’re no too stupid
we really believe we can dae it
We dinnae need claymores
We dinnae need swords
We’re going to overthrow the overlords!
Upanatum
Up an at em
Get in, boys
Dig in, lads
We’re the tartan army fae the cities and farms eh Scotland
Finally we’ve qualified
Thankfully it’s televised
The land of inventors, the beautiful game
And we’re going tae take our fitba hame
Upanatum
Up an at em
Get in, boys
Dig in, lads
We’re the tartan army fae the cities and farms eh Scotland
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