Greensleeves Records Albums
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"Greensleeves" is a traditional
English folk song The folk music of England is a tradition-based music which has existed since the later medieval period. It is often contrasted with courtly, classical and later commercial music. Folk music traditionally was preserved and passed on orally with ...
. A
broadside ballad A broadside (also known as a broadsheet) is a single sheet of inexpensive paper printed on one side, often with a ballad, rhyme, news and sometimes with woodcut illustrations. They were one of the most common forms of printed material between the ...
by the name "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves" was registered by Richard Jones at the London Stationers' Company in September 1580,Frank Kidson, ''English Folk-Song and Dance''. READ BOOKS, 2008, p.26. John M. Ward, "'And Who But Ladie Greensleeues?'", in ''The Well Enchanting Skill: Music, Poetry, and Drama in the Culture of the Renaissance: Essays in Honour of F. W. Sternfeld'', edited by John Caldwell, Edward Olleson, and Susan Wollenberg, 181–211 (Oxford:Clarendon Press; New York:
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 1990): 181. .
and the tune is found in several late 16th-century and early 17th-century sources, such as ''Ballet's MS Lute Book'' and '' Het Luitboek van Thysius'', as well as various manuscripts preserved in the
Seeley Historical Library The Seeley Historical Library was originally established as the history library of the University of Cambridge, England. It now holds collections for history, land economy, Latin American studies, politics and international studies and sociolog ...
in the
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
.


Origin

A
broadside ballad A broadside (also known as a broadsheet) is a single sheet of inexpensive paper printed on one side, often with a ballad, rhyme, news and sometimes with woodcut illustrations. They were one of the most common forms of printed material between the ...
by this name was registered at the London Stationer's Company in September 1580, by Richard Jones, as "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves". Six more ballads followed in less than a year, one on the same day, 3 September 1580 ("Ye Ladie Greene Sleeves answere to Donkyn hir frende" by Edward White), then on 15 and 18 September (by Henry Carr and again by White), 14 December (Richard Jones again), 13 February 1581 (Wiliam Elderton), and August 1581 (White's third contribution, "Greene Sleeves is worne awaie, Yellow Sleeves Comme to decaie, Blacke Sleeves I holde in despite, But White Sleeves is my delighte").
Hyder Edward Rollins Hyder Edward Rollins (8 November 1889 – 25 July 1958) was an American scholar and English professor. He was a prolific author of articles and books on Elizabethan poetry, broadside ballads, and Romantic poets. He was an internationally recogniz ...
,
An Analytical Index to the Ballad-Entries (1557–1709) in the Registers of the Company of Stationers of London
' (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1924): nos, 1892, 1390, 1051, 1049, 1742, 2276, 1050. Cited in John M. Ward, "'And Who But Ladie Greensleeues?'", in ''The Well Enchanting Skill: Music, Poetry, and Drama in the Culture of the Renaissance: Essays in Honour of F. W. Sternfeld'', edited by John Caldwell, Edward Olleson, and Susan Wollenberg, 181–211 (Oxford:Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press, 1990): 181–82. .
It then appears in the surviving ''
A Handful of Pleasant Delights Clement Robinson () was an English writer and editor of songs and ballads. He edited and probably contributed to ''A Boke of very pleasaunte Sonettes'', 1566 (not extant; reprinted, 1584, with title, ''A Handefull of pleasant Delites''). Works C ...
'' (1584) as ''A New Courtly Sonnet of the Lady Green Sleeves. To the new tune of Green Sleeves''. It is a common myth that Greensleeves was written by
King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement w ...
. However, Henry did not write Greensleeves as the piece is based on an Italian style of composition that did not reach England until after his death.


Lyrical interpretation

A possible interpretation of the lyrics is that Lady Green Sleeves was a promiscuous young woman, perhaps even a
prostitute Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-pe ...
. At the time, the word "green" had sexual connotations, most notably in the phrase "a green gown", a reference to the grass stains on a woman's dress from engaging in sexual intercourse outdoors.
Vance Randolph Vance Randolph (February 23, 1892 – November 1, 1980) was a folklorist who studied the folklore of the Ozarks in particular. He wrote a number of books on the Ozarks, as well as '' Little Blue Books'' and juvenile fiction. Early life Randolph ...
''"Unprintable" Ozark Folksongs and Folklore, Volume I, Folksongs and Music'', page 47, University of Arkansas Press, 1992,
An alternative explanation is that Lady Green Sleeves was, through her costume, incorrectly assumed to be sexually promiscuous. Her "discourteous" rejection of the singer's advances supports the contention that she is not. In
Nevill Coghill Nevill Henry Kendal Aylmer Coghill (19 April 1899 – 6 November 1980) was an Anglo-Irish literary scholar, known especially for his modern-English version of Geoffrey Chaucer's ''Canterbury Tales''. He was an associate of the literary discuss ...
's translation of ''
The Canterbury Tales ''The Canterbury Tales'' () is a collection of 24 stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. The book presents the tales, which are mostly written in verse, as part of a fictional storytelling contest held ...
'', he explains that "green
or Chaucer's age Or or OR may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * "O.R.", a 1974 episode of ''M*A*S*H'' * ''Or (My Treasure)'', a 2004 movie from Israel (''Or'' means "light" in Hebrew) Music * ''Or'' (album), a 2002 album by Golden ...
was the colour of lightness in love. This is echoed in 'Greensleeves is my delight' and elsewhere."


Alternative lyrics

Christmas and New Year texts were associated with the tune from as early as 1686, and by the 19th century almost every printed collection of
Christmas carols Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A liturgical feast central to Christianity, Chri ...
included some version of words and music together, most of them ending with the refrain "On Christmas Day in the morning".John M. Ward, "'And Who But Ladie Greensleeues?'", in ''The Well Enchanting Skill: Music, Poetry, and Drama in the Culture of the Renaissance: Essays in Honour of F. W. Sternfeld'', edited by John Caldwell, Edward Olleson, and Susan Wollenberg, 181–211 (Oxford:Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press, 1990): 193. . One of the most popular of these is " What Child Is This?", written in 1865 by
William Chatterton Dix William Chatterton Dix (14 June 1837 – 9 September 1898) was an English writer of hymns and Carol (music), carols. He was born in Bristol, the son of John Ross Dix, John Dix, a local surgeon, who wrote ''The Life of Chatterton'' the poet, a boo ...
.


Early literary references

In Shakespeare's ''
The Merry Wives of Windsor ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...
'' (written c. 1597; first published in 1602), the character Mistress Ford refers twice to "the tune of 'Greensleeves'", and
Falstaff Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. His significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays ''Henry IV, Part 1'' and '' Part 2'', w ...
later exclaims: These allusions indicate the song was already well known at that time.


Form

"Greensleeves" can have a
ground Ground may refer to: Geology * Land, the solid terrestrial surface of the Earth * Soil, a mixture of clay, sand and organic matter present on the surface of the Earth Electricity * Ground (electricity), the reference point in an electrical circ ...
either of the form called a ''
romanesca Romanesca is a melodic-harmonic formula popular from the mid–16th to early–17th centuries that was used as an aria formula for singing poetry and as a subject for instrumental variation. The pattern, which is found in an endless collection o ...
''; or its slight variant, the ''
passamezzo antico The passamezzo antico is a ground bass or chord progression that was popular during the Italian Renaissance and known throughout Europe in the 16th century.Peter van der Merwe (musicologist), van der Merwe, Peter. 1989. ''Origins of the Popular S ...
''; or the ''passamezzo antico'' in its verses and the ''romanesca'' in its reprise; or of the
Andalusian progression The Andalusian cadence (diatonic phrygian tetrachord) is a term adopted from flamenco music for a chord progression comprising four chords descending stepwise: iv–III–II–I progression with respect to the Phrygian mode or i–VII–VI–V p ...
in its verses and the ''romanesca'' or ''passamezzo antico'' in its reprise. The romanesca originated in SpainHarvey Turnbull, ''The Guitar from the Renaissance to the Present'' (1992), p.31. . See: . and is composed of a sequence of four
chords Chord or chords may refer to: Art and music * Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously ** Guitar chord, a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning * The Chords (British band), 1970s British mod ...
with a simple, repeating
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
, which provide the groundwork for
variations Variation or Variations may refer to: Science and mathematics * Variation (astronomy), any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite, particularly of the moon * Genetic variation, the difference in DNA among individual ...
and
improvisation Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...
.


Uses

* The tune was used (as "My Lady Greensleeves") as the slow march of the London
Trained Bands Trained Bands were companies of part-time militia in England, Wales and the Americas.Jonathan Worton: Ludlow's Trained Band: A Study of Militiamen in Early Stuart England, ''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'', Vol. 91, No. 365 ( ...
in the 16th and 17th centuries. Later the
7th (City of London) Battalion London Regiment The 7th (City of London) Battalion of the London Regiment (1908–1938), London Regiment was a Volunteer Force (Great Britain), volunteer unit of the British Army from 1860 until 1961. Recruited from London working men, it sent volunteers to the S ...
, which claimed descent from the Yellow Regiment of London Trained Bands, adopted the tune as its quick march during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, replacing "Austria" (to the same tune as the Imperial Austria Anthem), which had been used until then. * Greensleeves is the tune for the classic Christmas carol " What Child Is This?". * The 17th century English ballad, ''Old England Grown New'' is a version of "Greensleeves", also sometimes known as 'The Blacksmith' after another broadside ballad of the time. *
Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams ( ; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...
incorporated ''Greensleeves'' as the song ''Alas, My Love, You Do Me Wrong'' for Mistress Ford in Act III of his 1928 opera ''
Sir John in Love ''Sir John in Love'' is an opera in four acts by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. The libretto, by the composer himself, is based on Shakespeare's ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' and supplemented with texts by Philip Sidney, Thomas Mi ...
''. Its contrasting middle section is founded on another folk tune: ''
Lovely Joan Lovely Joan is a traditional English folk song/ballad (Roud #592), and the tune to which it is sung. Its melody was used as the counterpoint tune used in British composer Ralph Greaves's arrangement of ''Fantasia on "Greensleeves"'' from Ralph Vau ...
''. In 1934 the song was arranged for strings and harp, with Vaughan Williams's blessing, by Ralph Greaves (1889–1966); this is the familiar ''Fantasia on Greensleeves''. *
Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...
incorporated the tune into the final movement of his
Second Suite in F for Military Band The Second Suite in F for Military Band ( Op. 28, No. 2) is Gustav Holst's second of his two suites for concert band. Although performed less frequently than the First Suite in E, it is still a staple of the band repertoire. The ''Second Suite' ...
, interwoven with the primary theme, "Dargason". He later adapted the movement for strings, still using both folk tunes, in his
St Paul's Suite ''St Paul's Suite'' in C major ( Op. 29, No. 2), originally titled simply Suite in C, is a popular work for string orchestra by the English composer Gustav Holst. Finished in 1913, but not published until 1922 due to revisions, it takes its name ...
. * The tune was the basis for "Home in the Meadow", a recurring song throughout the 1962 epic film '' How the West Was Won''. * The song is traditionally played by
ice cream van An ice cream van (Commonwealth English) or ice cream truck (North American English) is a commercial vehicle that ice cream products are sold from, usually during the spring and summer. Ice cream vans are often used for street vending and ...
s in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. It is also played by ice cream trucks in the United States, albeit rarely. * Belgian singer
Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed theatrical songs. He generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, but later throughout the world ...
used the tune for the basis of his 1964 song
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
. * Instrumental versions of "Greensleeves" were used in the long-running original ''
Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a 1938 short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a 1940 full-length novel, '' Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with anot ...
'' television series, both in a seven-part 1966 story and as the show's theme song for its last three seasons (1970–1973). * Canadian singer-songwriter
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...
includes an adaptation of the song, titled "Leaving Green Sleeves" in his 1974 album ''
New Skin for the Old Ceremony ''New Skin for the Old Ceremony'', released in 1974, is the fourth studio album by Leonard Cohen. On this album, he begins to evolve away from the rawer sound of his earlier albums, with violas, mandolins, banjos, guitars, percussion and other in ...
'', in which the chord progression and lyrical content of the first two verses are retained. * The melody of "Greensleeves" is used repeatedly as a motif in ''SIX'', a musical about the
wives of Henry VIII In common parlance, the wives of Henry VIII were the six queens consort of King Henry VIII of England between 1509 and his death in 1547. In legal terms (''de jure''), Henry had only three wives, because three of his marriages were annulled by ...
. * In Hong Kong, "Greensleeves" is used as background music in the listening tests of the city's university entrance exams, the
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSEE) is an examination organised by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA). The HKDSE examination is Hong Kong's university entrance examination, administer ...
. * In Hong Kong, upon the opening of the
MTR The Mass Transit Railway system, known locally by the initialism MTR, is a rapid transit system in Hong Kong and the territory's principal mode of Rail transport in Hong Kong, railway transportation. Operated by the MTR Corporation (MTRCL), ...
's
Tuen Ma line The Tuen Ma line () is a commuter rail / rapid transit line that forms part of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system in Hong Kong. It is in length, making it the longest line of the MTR network. It has a total of 27 stations, more than a ...
in 2021, a video of a young rail enthusiast singing the lyrics "
I'm really excited about the opening of Tuen Ma line ''"I'm really excited about the opening of the Tuen Ma line"'' () was a viral meme in Hong Kong, originating in June 2021 from a news interview of a Railfan, train enthusiast during the full-length opening of Tuen Ma line, a railway line in the ...
" to the tune of "Greensleeves" became a viral internet meme. The MTR created its own edition of the song for the extension of the
East Rail line The East Rail line () is one of the ten lines that form MTR, the rapid transit, mass transit system in Hong Kong. The railway line starts at Lo Wu station, Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau station, Lok Ma Chau, both of which are Border checkpoint, b ...
in 2022. * In ''Mr. Sunshine'', a Korean drama, this music is used on several occasions. * The song is commonly featured in
electronic keyboard An electronic keyboard, portable keyboard, or digital keyboard is an electronic musical instrument based on keyboard instruments. Electronic keyboards include synthesizers, digital pianos, stage pianos, electronic organs and digital audio work ...
s as one of the built-in songs. * The tune has been covered by the
London Vegetable Orchestra The London Vegetable Orchestra is a British musical ensemble that fabricates and subsequently plays musical instruments made out of vegetables. It is understood to be the only vegetable orchestra in the United Kingdom. The orchestra was founded c ...


References


External links

* Public domain music recording *
Transcription of the lyrics from ''A Handful of Pleasant Delights'' (1584)
*

see under Greensleeves
Greensleeves
on TradTune.com {{Authority control 1580 works 16th-century songs British songs English folk songs Folk ballads Glen Campbell songs Hymn tunes William Ballet's Lute Book