Green Grow The Rushes O Lyrics

Celtic Woman

Music Video

Green Grow The Rushes

There's naught but care on every hand
In every hour that passes O
What signifies the life of man
If it were not for the lassies O

Green grow the rushes O
Green grow the rushes O
The sweetest hours that e'er I spent
Are spent among the lassies O

The worldly race may riches chase
And riches still may fly them, O
And though at last they catch them fast
Their hearts can ne'er enjoy them, O

Green grow the rushes, O
Green grow the rushes, O
The sweetest hours that e'er I spent
Are spent among the lassies, O

The sweetest hours that e'er I spent
Are spent among the lassies, O

Green grow the rushes, O
Green grow the rushes, O
The sweetest hours that e'er I spent
Are spent among the lassies, O

Old nature swears the lovely dears
Her noblest work she classes, O
Her apprentice hand she tried on man
Then she made the lassies, O

Green grow the rushes, O
Green grow the rushes, O
The sweetest hours that e'er I spent
Are spent among the lassies, O

Green grow the rushes, O
Green grow the rushes, O
The sweetest hours that e'er I spent
Are spent among the lassies, O
Are spent among the lassies, O

Song Details

✍️ Lyricist: Robert Burns - Scottish poet and lyricist (25 Jan 1759 – 21 July 1796).

📅 Earliest date of circulation: 1794

✍️ Original Title: Green Grow The Rashes, O

🎶 Shares the same tune as:

True Harry of Kentucky, Oh
A 19th‑century American political song set to the same melody as “Green Grow the Rashes, O.” It uses the familiar tune to comment on national issues of the time.
The Great Big, Ugly Irishman
A humorous song printed in 19th‑century songsters, also sung to the same traditional air. It shares the rhythm and structure of the Burns melody.

📝 Song Brief:
The song reflects the idea that the happiest and most joyful moments in a man’s life are those spent in the company of a woman or lassie. It contrasts two paths through life — one driven by power, ambition, or money, and another guided by the easy, natural impulses of the heart. Burns suggests that a simpler, more affectionate life brings greater peace and contentment than the pursuit of status or wealth.

📖 Glossary:

lassie — a Scots and Irish term meaning a young woman or girl
care on every hand
A poetic way of saying that worries or troubles are present everywhere. In Burns’s writing, it reflects the sense that life is full of burdens, even in moments of beauty or joy.
Old Nature swears the lovely dears / Her noblest work she classes, O
A poetic way of saying that Nature herself declares women to be her finest creation.
Her apprentice hand she tried on man / Then she made the lassies, O
When Nature made men, she was only practising — and that women were her true masterpiece.
rushes — Rushes are long, slender plants that grow in wet ground.
naught — An old-fashioned word meaning “nothing.”
e'er — ever
ne'er — never

🍀 Genre: Irish/Scottish Folk Song

👥 Covers: Cherish The Ladies, The Limeliters, Altan, Celtic Squall, Tommy Fleming, Dougie MacLean, Eddi Reader, Colm Keegan.

🎤 Featured Artists: Celtic Woman - Irish female vocal ensemble known for their modern interpretations of traditional and contemporary Celtic music.

💿 Album: Believe
Released: January 24, 2012
Country: US
Format: CD
Label: Manhattan

🎸 If you'd like to play this song on guitar, you can view the chord version on our sister site, Bell&CoMusic.com.

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