Digital Tradition Mirror

Green Grow the Rashes, O

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Green Grow the Rashes, O
(Robert Burns)

cho: Green grow the rashes,O
     Green grow the rashes, O
     The sweetest hours that e'er I spent
     Are spent amang the lasses, O.

There's naught but care on ev'ry han'
In ev'ry hour that passes, O
What signifies the life o' man,
An' 'twere not for the lasses, O!

cho:

The warldly race may riches chase
An' riches still may fly them, O
An' though at last they catch them fast,
Their hearts can ne'er enjoy them, O!.
cho:

Gie me a cannie hour at e'en
My arms around my dearie, O,
An' warldly cares, an' warldly men
May a' gae tapsalteerie, O!

cho:

An' you sae douce, wha sneer at this
Ye're naught but senseless asses, O!
The wisest man the world e'er saw,
He dearly lo'ed the lasses, O!

cho:

Auld nature swears the lovely dears,
Her noblest wark she classes, O
Her 'prentice han' she tried on man
And then she made the lasses, O.
cho:

Note: Burns likes this song; he wrote (and rewrote) several
versions, some more clinical than others. see also GRRASH1
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!