The Rattlin’ Bog: what the song means

We’re still in an Irish port. That means a wee break from sea shanties and the opportunity to explore some of Ireland’s traditional music. The Rattlin’ Bog is a hugely popular Irish trad song. It’s fast, fun, and easy to learn.

We’ll dig into the history of the song, break down the lyrics, and share our favourite versions. If you’ve got a good set of lungs and fancy singing it, check out our instrumental karaoke version of The Rattlin’ Bog.

History of The Rattlin’ Bog

It’s a cumulative song (like 12 Days of Christmas), where new lines are added and the verses grow progressively longer. Additionally, the speed of the song increases throughout. I once heard someone say the song ends when you explode – if you’ve tried to sing the longer versions this seems apt.

This is a VERY old song. It’s so old that the Roud index has over 180 English versions of the song. There are also many versions in a variety of other languages including Danish, French, German, and Italian.

Some of these other versions are “The Everlasting Circle,” “The Tree on the Hill,” “The Green Grass Grew All Around,” and “Down in the Lowlands”. It’s truly an international song. The Irish aspect of this song is “rattlin’ bog”, as most of the other versions seem to refer to “green leaves” or “green grass”.

In Folksongs of Britain and Ireland, Peter Kennedy says it was originally used as a memory game by children and was later transformed into a drinking game. To this day, it’s still taught as a camp song in many parts of the world.

The verse lyrics vary wildly. The first handful of items are relatively consistent, but the location it’s been sung at and the mood of the singer quickly takes over. There are modern versions talking about everything from the smallest parts of a virus to the ludicrous idea of a chicken smoking a cigarette.

The Rattlin’ Bog lyrics

(Chorus)

Ho ro the rattlin’ bog

The bog down in the valley-o

Ho ro the rattlin’ bog

The bog down in the valley-o

–

Now in this 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 this tree there was a limb

A rare limb, a rattlin’ limb

The limb on the tree

And the tree in the bog

And the bog down in the valley-o

–

(Chorus)

–

And on this limb there was a branch

A rare branch, a rattlin’ branch

The branch on the limb

And the limb on the tree

And the tree in the bog

And the bog down in the valley-o

–

(Chorus)

–

And on this branch there was a nest

A rare nest, a rattlin’ nest

The nest on the branch

And the branch on the limb

And the limb on the tree

And the tree in the bog

And the bog down in the valley-o

–

(Chorus)

–

And in this nest there was a bird

A rare bird, a rattlin’ bird

The bird in the nest

And the nest on the branch

And the branch on the limb

And the limb on the tree

And the tree in the bog

And the bog down in the valley-o

–

(Chorus)

–

And on this bird there was a feather

A rare feather, a rattlin’ feather

The feather on the bird 

And the bird in the nest

And the nest on the branch

And the branch on the limb

And the limb on the tree

And the tree in the bog

And the bog down in the valley-o

–

(Chorus)

–

And on this feather there was a flea

A rare flea, a rattlin’ flea

The flea on the feather

And the feather on the bird

And the bird in the nest

And the nest on the branch

And the branch on the limb

And the limb on the tree

And the tree in the bog

And the bog down in the valley-o

(Chorus)

What the lyrics mean

The verse lyrics are pretty straightforward. The only part we think that might need to be explained is the chorus.

“Ho ro the rattlin’ bog”

A ‘bog’ is a wet or marshy area that’s usually so waterlogged people can’t walk on it without sinking into the mud. ‘Rattlin’ is short for ‘rattling’. In this context, it’s a positive word meaning good, great, brilliant, or splendid. So we’re basically singing about a brilliant marsh.

“The bog down in the valley-o”

A ‘valley’ is the lower area between 2 hills or mountains. The ‘o’ on the valley is added to keep the musical rhythm. All this line is saying is ‘the marsh in between the hills’.

Best versions of The Rattlin’ Bog

Patrice O’Connor and Clodagh McCarthy (The Irish Wedding version)

This version is extremely popular with well over 4 million views. Sung in the early hours of the morning after a wedding by 2 sisters, it’s not perfectly polished. There are a few hiccups but they add to the authentic feel of the song. 

This wasn’t recorded with the purpose of sharing it. It’s 2 fantastic singers having a good time and sharing the joy of traditional music. This lively, fun-filled version is a must-watch. It’s one of our favourites.

Rula Bula

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more practiced version than this. It’s a long version with many things getting added to the cumulative count. Yet, they manage to perfectly enunciate each and every ridiculous item that can be found in the bog. It’s lots of fun!

Carlyle Fraser

The backing melodies make this version sound very Irish. Although the speed still increases towards the end, it’s much easier to sing than the others we shared. There’s a lot less energy put into the song. It’s a relaxed pub version. Still enjoyable, but offers a different vibe.

Final thoughts

You’ve learned that The Rattlin’ Bog is a popular traditional Irish song with many versions. We explained that each verse explores one layer deeper into the bog and shared a few of our most-listened-to versions. Think we missed a great one? Let us know in the comments.

Fancy signing it? Try our acoustic karaoke version. Take a deep breath and give it a try!