English

Bog Down in the Valley Oh

I first heard "A bog down in the valley oh" sung by Brian Kelly in 1989 and it was love at first hearing. It is a wonderful accumulative song which goes on and on and on. It takes a lot of practice and is a real strain on the memory especially if you're playing and instrument at the same time. I sing it at practically every performance and it always goes down well. On two occasions I've had the great good fortune to sing it in duet with Victor Besch, a very good Welsh singer and musician living here in Bremen. He lets me rattle along, himself singing a blinding third above or below, on the fly and in perfect harmony. A most wonderful experience. His version includes a further verse about a leaf which in the heat of the moment, I leave out irregularly, but he takes it with aplomb.
I've also heard a Bavarian version, sung by Egbert Heiß, to a completely different tune. It is delightfully comic, especially the way Egbert sings it, and is completely in accord with the English version.
"Bog Down in the Valley Oh" has been recorded by:
 The Clancy Brothers on "Irish Folk Songs & Airs" RealAudio
 The Clancy Brothers on "So Early In The Morning" 
 Various Artists on "Revels Celebration Of Spring Summer & Fall" 
 Wally Whyton on "Children's Choice" 
 The Wild Mountain Thyme on "The Wild Mountain Thyme"