The poem describes a series of interconnected natural elements in a bog down in a valley. It begins with an egg in a nest on a twig and progresses up to a flea on a feather on a bird on the egg. Each line adds another element that is connected to the previous ones, building up imagery of the intricate interconnectedness of the natural world within this bog landscape.

1. The Rattlin’ bog In the nest,
There was an egg,
Oh ho the rattlin' bog A rare egg,
The bog down in the valley-oh A rattlin' egg,
Oh ho the rattlin' bog The egg in the nest,
The bog down in the valley-oh And the nest on the twig,
And the twig on the branch,
Now, in this bog, And the branch on the limb,
There was a tree, And the limb on the tree,
A rare tree, And the tree in the bog,
A rattlin' tree, And the bog down in the valley-oh!
The tree in the bog,
And the bog down in the valley-oh! [Chorus]
[Chorus] On the egg,
There was a bird,
Now, on this tree, A rare bird,
There was a limb, A rattlin' bird,
A rare limb, The bird on the egg,
A rattlin' limb, And the egg in the nest,
The limb on the tree, And the nest on the twig,
And the tree in the bog, And the twig on the branch,
And the bog down in the valley-oh! And the branch on the limb,
And the limb on the tree,
[Chorus] And the tree in the bog,
And the bog down in the valley-oh!
Now, on this limb,
There was a branch, [Chorus]
A rare branch,
A rattlin' branch, On the bird,
The branch on the limb, There was feather,
And the limb on the tree, A rare feather,
And the tree in the bog, A rattlin' feather,
And the bog down in the valley-oh! The feather on the bird,
And the bird on the egg,
[Chorus] And the egg in the nest,
And the nest on the twig,
On this branch, And the twig on the branch,
There was a twig, And the branch on the limb,
A rare twig, And the limb on the tree,
A rattlin' twig, And the tree in the bog,
The twig on the branch And the bog down in the valley-oh!
And the branch on the limb,
And the limb on the tree, [Chorus]
And the tree in the bog,
And the bog down in the valley-oh! On the feather,
There was a flea,
[Chorus] A rare flea,
A rattlin' flea
On this twig, The flea on the feather,
There was a nest, And the feather on the bird,
A rare nest, And the bird on the egg,
A rattlin' nest, And the egg in the nest,
The nest on the twig, And the nest on the twig,
And the twig on the branch, And the twig on the branch,
And the branch on the limb, And the branch on the limb,
And the limb on the tree, And the limb on the tree,
And the tree in the bog, And the tree in the bog,
And the bog down in the valley-oh And the bog down in the valley-oh!
[Chorus] [Chorus]
And the bog shall live in the valley-oh!

2. The Rattlin’ bog In the nest,
There was an egg,
Oh ho the rattlin' bog A rare egg,
The bog down in the valley-oh A rattlin' egg,
Oh ho the rattlin' bog The egg in the nest,
The bog __________in the valley-oh And the nest on the twig,
And the _________ on the branch,
Now, in this bog, And the branch on the limb,
There was a tree, And the limb on the tree,
A rare __________, And the tree in the __________,
A rattlin' tree, And the bog down in the valley-oh!
The tree in the bog,
And the bog down in the valley-oh!
On the egg,
There was a bird,
_______________, on this tree, A rare bird,
There was a limb, A rattlin' bird,
A rare limb, The bird on the egg,
A rattlin' limb, And the egg in the nest,
The limb on the tree, And the nest on the twig,
And the tree in the bog, And the twig on the branch,
And the bog down in the valley-oh! And the ______________ on the limb,
And the limb on the tree,
And the tree in the bog,
Now, on this limb, And the bog down in the valley-oh!
There ____________ a branch,
A rare branch,
A rattlin' branch, On the ________,
The branch on the ___________, There was feather,
And the limb on the tree, A rare feather,
And the tree in the bog, A rattlin' feather,
And the bog down in the valley-oh! The feather on the bird,
And the bird on the egg,
And the _______in the nest,
On ____________ branch, And the nest on the twig,
There was a twig, And the twig on the branch,
A rare twig, And the branch on the limb,
A rattlin' twig, And the limb on the tree,
The twig on the branch And the tree in the bog,
And the branch on the limb, And the bog down in the valley-oh!
And the limb on the tree,
And the tree in the bog,
And the __________ down in the valley-oh! On the feather,
There was a ___________,
A rare flea,
On this twig, A rattlin' flea
There was a nest, The flea on the __________,
A _________nest, And the feather on the bird,
A rattlin' nest, And the bird on the egg,
The nest on the twig, And the egg in the nest,
And the twig on the branch, And the nest on the twig,
And the ___________on the limb, _________the twig on the branch,
And the limb on the tree, And the branch on the limb,
And the tree in the bog, And the limb on the tree,
And the bog down in the valley-oh And the tree in the bog,
And the bog down in the valley-oh!
And the bog shall __________ in the valley-oh!