This edition was prepared by James Gibb — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
An old rat's tale
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs, Humorous songs
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An old rat's tale by John Frederick Bridge — Lyrics
He was a rat, and she was a rat,
And down in one hole they did dwell.
And both were as black as a witch's hat,
And they loved one another well.
He had a tail, and she had a tail;
Both long and curling and fine.
And each said, "Yours is the finest tail
In the world, excepting mine!"
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About An old rat's tale
John Frederick Bridge composed this humorous four-part song for male voices (ATTB). It is a secular piece, a part-song in the tradition of light-hearted Victorian part-singing. The text tells the comical, cautionary tale of two rats who live together, admire each other's tails, and venture out together to find cheese. Their journey proves to be their last, as they never return, leaving the narrator in suspense. The lyrics playfully describe the rats' affection and their shared delight in food, before concluding with their mysterious disappearance.
