“It is a song that was written by an American folk musician called Si Kahn. It is a song that Dick Gaughan always used to open with. It’s called What You Do With What You’ve Got. The chorus goes: ‘It’s not just what you’re born with, it’s what you chose to bear, it’s not how big your share is, it’s how much you can share. It’s not the fights you dreamed of, it’s those you really fought, it’s not just what you are given, it’s what you do with what you’ve got.’ It’s not an easy one to sing along to, but it is one that I would dearly love to have played, and it has meant a lot and inspired me along the way.” – Scottish member of parliament Richard Thomson when asked what song he wanted played at his funeral by Holyrood’s “Inside Politics.”
According to the Scottish National Parliament’s official website, “Richard Thomson is the Scottish National Party MP for Gordon, and has been an MP continuously since 12 December 2019. He currently undertakes the roles of Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Northern Ireland), Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Wales), and Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Trade).” https://members.parliament.uk/member/4796/contact