Green Grow the Rashes

"Green Grow the Rashes O" lyrics and music Robert Burns

Performed by Marc Gunn
From: Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion

There's naught but care on every hand,
In every hour that passes, O!
What signifies the life o' man,
And 'twere not for the lasses O?

* Green grow the rashes O!
Green grow the rashes O!
The sweetest hour that e'er I spent
Were spent among the lasses O!

The war'ly race may riches chase,
And riches may soon fly them, O!
And tho at last they catch them fast,
Their hearts can ne'er enjoy them, O!

But gie me a cannie hour at e'en
My arms about my dearie, O!
And war'ly cares and worldly men,
May all gae tapsalteerie, O!

For you sae douce wha sneer at this,
Ye're not but senseless asses, O!
The wisest man the world e'er saw,
He dearly loved the lasses, O!

Auld Nature swears the lovely dears,
Her noblest work she classes, O!
Her apprentice hand she tried on man,
And then she made the lasses, O!

Chords: KEY F

[F]There's naught but care [C]on [F]every hand,
[Gm]In every hour [F]that [Gm]passes, O!
[Bb]What sig-[F]ni-[Bb]fies the [F]life o' man,
[Gm]And 'twere not for the [Bb]lasses [C]O?

Background

A love song attributed to the National Poet of Scotland, Robert Burns. Who knew that the Scots could be so romantic?

 

Green Grow the Rashes Videos

from ScottisH Songs of Drinking & Rebellion CD

recorded in my Purgatorre studio

recorded at O'Flaherty's in Dingle, Ireland with Mazz O'Flaherty