Green Grow The Rushes, O

[Nocturnal Submission]

Right, if there was ever going to be a nailed on nil thread...

When I was a young child my father used to sing a song to me. After going down a Wikipedia rabbit hole I was suddenly reminded of it. It was called Green Grow The Rushes, O and I remember finding the lyrics baffling but rather beautiful. According to Wiki "the lyrics of the song are in many places extremely obscure and present an unusual mixture of Christian catechesis, astronomical mnemonics and what may be pagan cosmology".

Does anyone else know the song?

One version goes as follows:

I'll sing you twelve, O^[a] Green grow the rushes, O What are your twelve, O? Twelve for the twelve Apostles Eleven for the eleven who went to heaven, Ten for the ten commandments, Nine for the nine bright shiners,^[b] Eight for the April Rainers.^[c] Seven for the seven stars in the sky,^[d] Six for the six proud walkers,^[e] Five for the symbols at your door,^[f] Four for the Gospel makers, Three, three, the rivals, Two, two, the lily-white boys, Clothed all in green, O^[g] One is one and all alone^[h] And evermore shall be so.

[Amor de Cosmos]

I do remember it, but, as a kid, never thought too much about the lyrics. It was of course, with dramatically,altered words, — sung by Spurs fans in the early sixties, rebuilt around "the lily-white boys" line.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Ten for the days that shook the world
And nine for the works of Lenin
Eight for the hours of a working day
Seven for the days of a five day week
And six for the Tolpuddle Martyrs
Five for the years of a five year plan
And four for the International
Three, three, the Rights of Man
Two, two, the worker's hands
Working for a living - O
One is workers' unity
And ever more shall be so.

(Red fly the banners oh)

[Nocturnal Submission]

I do remember it, but, as a kid, never thought too much about the lyrics. It was of course, with dramatically,altered words, — sung by Spurs fans in the early sixties, rebuilt around "the lily-white boys" line.

Really. That must have taken a while to belt out. I don't suppose that you can recall the lyrics?

[Nocturnal Submission]

Ten for the days that shook the world
And nine for the works of Lenin
Eight for the hours of a working day
Seven for the days of a five day week
And six for the Tolpuddle Martyrs
Five for the years of a five year plan
And four for the International
Three, three, the Rights of Man
Two, two, the worker's hands
Working for a living - O
One is workers' unity
And ever more shall be so.

(Red fly the banners oh)

Ah, interesting. Is that still widely sung when comrades gather?

[DCI Harry Batt]

Don't think I've ever heard it sung, as it goes. Maybe by me, when drunk. Which would date it.

[Nocturnal Submission]

So where did you pick it up from? Your mum?

[Amor de Cosmos]

Really. That must have taken a while to belt out. I don't suppose that you can recall the lyrics?

No, but it didn't start from twelve that's for sure.

[delicatemoth]

Got an REM earworm now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOioOwhXYOY

[DCI Harry Batt]

So where did you pick it up from? Your mum?

This is a good question. I probably found it in "The Big Red Songbook" I got for krismas one year.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Ah, interesting. Is that still widely sung when comrades gather?

I remember singing that version at Crusaders camp when I was twelve years old!

[tee rex]

I sang it at Cubs, along with other standards like 'Quatermaster Stores'. And I'm pretty sure the tune was heard on football terraces (apart from Lilywhite Boys version), but the words escape me.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Got an REM earworm now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOioOwhXYOY

Oooo - that's nice.

[Nocturnal Submission]

I remember singing that version at Crusaders camp when I was twelve years old!

Crusaders?

[Amor de Cosmos]

Christian boy's club. These days known as the Urban Saints apparently.

[Nocturnal Submission]

You sang TonTon's Leninist anthem at a Christian boy's club!!!

[johnr]

We used to sing this on our East End family holidays back in the early 70s, was only looking at some old Super 8 of it the other week. Everybody pissed, and the last but one line was always
'Two, Two (with V sign)
The same to you
How's your father (big raspberry accompanied by left-arm to right-forearm gesture)
Alright!'

Followed by everybody falling about at the hilarity of being able to be so vulgar in public.

[Benjm]

I sang it at Cubs, along with other standards like 'Quatermaster Stores'.

Yes, I remember it from Scouts. Not a mark in its favour, tbh.

[delicatemoth]

Oooo - that's nice.

That is indeed the correct response to early REM. Here is the entire gig - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBVVtNnHeEg

[Nocturnal Submission]

That is indeed the correct response to early REM. Here is the entire gig - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBVVtNnHeEg

It prompted me to listen to The One I Love which is probably my favourite R.E.M. song.

[Felicity, I guess so]

It’s originally a Burns poem. Famously introduced by Kirsty Wark on Newsnight Review as being a song that presents god as a woman (it was in honour of Dundonian Michael Marra, whose live version it was, who’d just died- since I’m limited now to my phone for OTF, I can’t link to the performance, sorry)

[delicatemoth]

EDIT - to NS

Historically it's 7 Chinese Brothers/Voice Of Harold for me, but they're one of those groups I like more and more as I get older and now they've got to the point where my favourite changes regularly. Butthole Surfers do a great version of The One I Love on a live album I had.

[Amor de Cosmos]

You sang TonTon's Leninist anthem at a Christian boy's club!!!

Yeah. It wasn't really very Christian, not, at least, in my brief experience. We also did: "Whenever you see a hearse go by, just think of the day you're going to die, where O where shall we be in a hundred years from now." Also not particularly Holy.

You're right about the curiosity and beauty of Green Grow the Rushes O. For similar reasons I like:

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

It too has obscure origins

[Duncan Gardner]

So. Central Rain is my early Rapids favourite. Remember liking GGTR as a child but I thought it was a nursery rhyme

[Toby Gymshorts]

Got an REM earworm now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOioOwhXYOY

I came in to say exactly this. Anyway, for me it's Perfect Circle.