Singing
Wedding party goes rounds singing increasingly fast-paced traditional Irish song and go viral
The Rattlin' Bog is a traditional Irish folk song that I couldn't pull off on my best day let alone after a long night partying at a wedding.
Kate Miano
06.24.21

Weddings and music: they seem to be almost universal cultural traditions no matter where you go in the world. So it’s pretty great to see the two blended.

A video with almost 4 million views shows the after-party of an Irish wedding, and all I can say is, I wish I was there.

A bunch of late-night wedding partiers came together to sing an Irish folk song.

Folk songs have long been a way for people to pass stories down through the generations and create culture.

flickr - Natasha Suslina
Source:
flickr - Natasha Suslina

According to the World Federation of Music Therapy:

“It is the use of human expression in order to describe one’s way of life. Because the purpose of folk song is to describe human experiences, it is not surprising that a variety of folk songs exist.”

One video shows an example of the importance of folk songs. In a now-viral video, an Irish wedding party sits in a circle and sings a famous folk song. It’s a beautiful moment to watch.

The song is “The Rattlin’ Bog”, or “The Tree on the Hill”.

“The Rattlin’ Bog” is a traditional Irish folk song. It builds upon itself, meaning that as the song tells its story, it repeats a lot of the same information before adding another line. The song tells about a scene in nature, and it works by linking various elements to each other by building line upon line.

flickr - Lisa Harbin
Source:
flickr - Lisa Harbin

According to Genius Lyrics:

“This classic Irish folk song is cumulative, so you better be ready to take a deep breath before you start!

This song can be heard all the time in Ireland whenever there is an event going on, whether it’s a wedding or a birthday.”

That makes sense because everyone in this video seems to know the lyrics.

YouTube Screenshot - RM Videos
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - RM Videos

As the video pans around the crowd, you can see that pretty much everyone joins in the song. The people in this video vary in ages, some of them are older and are maybe family members, while many of the younger people may be friends of the bride and groom.

It’s cool to see multiple generations of people know the same lyrics and have the same enthusiasm.

One woman leads the singing.

YouTube Screenshot - RM Videos
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - RM Videos

For most of the video, the camera focuses on a blonde woman, who is sitting next to the groom and the bride. She leads the singing and encourages everyone else to join in. She also has a beautiful voice that manages to sound effortless while hitting some beautiful notes.

You can feel the joy during the song.

Even though this video was filmed after what must have been a long and energetic wedding, everyone seems excited to keep the party going. You can see palpable smiles as everyone sings the well-known lines together.

YouTube Screenshot - RM Videos
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - RM Videos

While the video focuses mostly on the blonde woman singing, you can also see the bride dancing along next to her. During the chorus lines, a lot of people clap along in time.

By the end, the camera pans round to show just how many people are still awake to sing songs.

YouTube Screenshot - RM Videos
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - RM Videos

Everyone loves this video.

Lots of commenters online are loving the pure joy and delight captured in this video. Folk songs are so fun to sing, and hear!

One commenter says:

“Makes you wish you were Irish, and if you are, it makes you wish you were in Ireland.”

flickr - Luca Sartoni
Source:
flickr - Luca Sartoni

Someone even joked:

“This is an Irish sobriety test when you get pulled over by the police.”

Nothing like witnessing people go all out for their favorite traditions.

YouTube Screenshot - RM Videos
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - RM Videos

“Rattlin’ Bog” seems to be a well-loved source of good memories for everyone in this video. Weddings are great for bringing people together under all sorts of circumstances, and music is too.

So take a virtual journey to an Irish wedding in all its glory in the video below!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Advertisement