The Irish Songbook - Rattlin' Bog

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Dance first, think later. It's the natural order. 

- Samuel Beckett 

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It's time for a sing-along folks!
An Irish sing-along!

When I first visited Ireland with my dear friend Catherine in February of 2010, we were introduced to a fun Irish sing-along called "Rattlin' Bog". We were on a tour bus headed for the Wicklow Mountains, and Steve, our tour guide, taught us this tune - with actions!

Here's a wee home video that I made during our sing-along with Steve. The camera might be shaky, and it's not the best quality, but it'll give you a glimpse into how fun the Irish can be with their sing-alongs!







Here are the lyrics!

Rattlin' Bog

(Chorus:)

Hi ho, the rattlin' bog,

The bog down in the valley-o,

Hi ho, the rattlin' bog,

The bog down in the valley-o.

Now in the bog there was a tree,

A rare tree, a rattlin' tree;

The tree in the bog,

And the bog down in the valley-o.

(Chorus)

And on that tree there was a branch,

A rare branch, a rattlin' branch,

The branch on the tree,

And the tree in the bog,

And the bog down in the valley-o.

(Chorus)

The verses continue in a like manner, with increasing details of the tree and its contents, such as:

Now on that branch there was a twig...

Now on that twig there was a leaf...

Now on that leaf there was a nest...

Now in that nest there was an egg...

Now in that egg there was a bird...

Now on that bird there was a wing...

Now on that wing there was a feather...

Now on that feather there was a flea...

Now on that flea there was a rash...

Hope that helps brighten your day!

Keep Smilin' 

M.