The Rattlin' Bog

The Rattlin' Bog is a popular Irish folk song about a bog in a valley, and its contents. The adjective rattlin' is an abbreviation of 'rattling' which in the context of this song, means 'splendid'. The song is a cumulative song, similar to The Twelve Days of Christmas, as it has a list at the end of each verse which grows throughout the piece. In some performances of the song, the speed is constantly increased, in the same way that The Sailor's Hornpipe is sometimes played. There is some variation in how the lyrics are documented. Some versions record the first word of the chorus as either 'Oh' or 'Ho' or just 'O' followed by the second word as either 'ro' or 'row'. Since it is a folk song, it has been transmitted over generations orally and aurally so all these versions coexist and it may be impossible and even nonsensical to seek a single authoritative version of the song's lyrics.

Another song, known by various versions of the name And the Green Grass Grew All Around, is thought to have originally derived from The Rattlin' Bog or shared a common origin with it.

Lyrics

(H)o(h) ro(w), the rattlin' bog,

The bog down in the valley-o,

H)o(h) ro(w), 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)^[1]

The verses continue in a like manner, with increasing details of the tree and its contents, such as:^[2]

Now on that tree there was a bough/limb...

Now on that bough/limb there was a branch...

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...

or

Now on that branch there was a nest...

Now in that nest there was a bird...

Now under that bird there was an egg...

Now in that egg there was a chick...

Now in that chick there was a heart...

Now in that heart there was some love...

or

Now on that branch there was a nest...

Now in that nest there was an egg...

Now under that egg there was a lion...

Now on that lion there was a mane...

Now on that main there was a ship...

Now on that ship there was a deck...

Now on that deck there was a cabin...

Now in that cabin there was a table...

Now on that table there was a map...

And on that map there was a bog...

Performing

During a performance, it is typical for the song to increase in speed with each additional verse, almost as a challenge to determine who can sing the lyrics the fastest without getting mixed up.

Some performances have one singer leading the song, singing the Now on that... lines solo. The whole group then joins in for the cumulative list and chorus. In some live performances, the audience sings along for as long as they can keep up, with most only skilled still singing the chorus by the end of the song.

Many variations exist where additional verses are added or exchanged to suit the locale where the song is performed. North American folk group The Idlers customarily sing about a bird inside an egg inside another bird that is in the nest, while others have a bird in the egg in the nest. Additionally, the group added a rash on the flea as a final verse. Renowned Welsh folk singer Ed Piggford added further verses going as far as an amoeba, in the process creating a popular drinking game as players try to keep up.

The song can be sung as an echo, where each line is sung by a lead and then repeated by others.

• Golden Bough performs this on their album Kids at Heart: Celtic Songs for Children.
• Authority Zero performs this on their album Andiamo (hidden track).

References