The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem: The Wren Song

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On St. Stephens day, the day after Christmas in the west of Ireland there is a tradition called the Wren Parade. In Gaelic traditional culture today people dress up and chase a symbol of the wren through town in a parade. In the past the dressing up involved painting peoples faces black and killing an actual wren. While its a tradition in ethnically Gaelic areas the wren parade began as an anglo norman tradition.

The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,
Although he was little his honour was great,
Jump up me lads and give him a treat.

Chorus:

Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
And give us a penny to bury the wren.

2. As I was going to Killenaule,
I met a wren upon the wall.
I took me stick and knocked him down,
And brought him in to Carrick Town.

Chorus:

3. Droolin, Droolin, where's your nest?
Tis in the bush that I love best
In the tree the holly tree,
Where all the boys do follow me.
Chorus:

4. We followed the wren three miles or more,
Three mile or more three miles or more.
We followed the wren three miles or more,
At six o'clock in the morning.

Chorus:

5. I have a little box under me arm,
Under me arm under me arm.
I have a little box under me arm,
A penny or tuppence would do it no harm.
Chorus: