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October 26

Bough and branch

Did you ever remember from your childhood a song about a tree in a wood where each verse is cumulative?? Some versions of the song have one nonsensical verse; "and on the branch there was a bough". This verse is nonsense because bough means large tree branch. Do some versions of songs like this have some nonsensical verses?? Georgia guy (talk) 01:19, 26 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

The song is The Rattlin' Bog. DuncanHill (talk) 01:29, 26 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Here's a version by the Irish Rovers:[1] ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:39, 26 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I've looked at various lyrics versions. Some say branch/limb, limb/branch, branch/twig, bough/limb, and god only knows what other combinations, but I don't see any branch/bough combos. Clarityfiend (talk) 12:49, 26 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Our article says there are 180 distinct versions, an American one being And the Green Grass Grew All Around but an almost identical English version is usually called The Everlasting Circle. Alansplodge (talk) 21:36, 26 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

There are versions with a branch and a bough, although not co-occurring in the same line. Now, on the tree, there was a bough. ... Now, on the bough, there was a limb. ... Now, on the limb, there was a branch.^[2] --Lambiam 22:25, 26 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]