"My Lady Greensleeves" as depicted in an 1864 painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

"Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song and tune, basically a ground of the form called a romanesca. Greensleeves began in modest circumstances as a record shop in West Ealing, London, in November 1975. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 514 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (600 × 700 pixel, file size: 259 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Original PD/ modified by Maris stella copyrights (original) under PD copyrights (modified) by Maris stella source : Image:Greensleeves-rossetti. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 514 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (600 × 700 pixel, file size: 259 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Original PD/ modified by Maris stella copyrights (original) under PD copyrights (modified) by Maris stella source : Image:Greensleeves-rossetti. ... Dante Gabriel Rossetti (May 12, 1828 - April 10, 1882) was an English poet, painter and translator. ... The Folk Music of England has a long history. ...

A broadside ballad by this name was registered at the London Stationer's Company in 1580 as "A New Northern Dittye of the Lady Greene Sleeves." No copy of that printing is known. It appears in the surviving A Handful of Pleasant Delights (1584) as "A New Courtly Sonnet of the Lady Green Sleeves. To the new tune of Green sleeves." It remains debatable whether this suggests that an 'old' tune of "Greensleeves" was in circulation, or which one our familiar tune is. Many surviving sets of lyrics were written to this tune. A broadside is the side of a ship; the battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous (or near simultaneous) fire in naval warfare. ...

The tune is also 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 Cambridge University libraries. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University), located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and has a reputation as one of the worlds most prestigious universities. ... Seeley Library from the south-east. ...

A widely-believed (but completely unproven) legend is that it was composed by King Henry VIII (1491-1547) for his lover and future queen consort Anne Boleyn. Anne, the youngest daughter of Thomas Boleyn, rejected Henry's attempts to seduce her. This rejection is apparently referred to in the song, when the writer's love "cast me off discourteously." However, it is most unlikely that King Henry VIII wrote it, as the song is written in a style which was not known in England until after Henry VIII died. “Henry VIII” redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Anne Boleyn, Queen Consort of England, 1st Marchioness of Pembroke[1] (ca. ... Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire and 1st Earl of Ormonde (about 1477 - 12 March 1538/9), was a Tudor diplomat and politician and the father of Anne Boleyn, the second Queen of King Henry VIII. He was born and buried at the family home, Hever Castle. ...

It is widely acknowledged that Lady Green Sleeves was at the very least a promiscuous young woman and perhaps a prostitute.^[1] The reference to the colour of her sleeves suggests grass stains from a recent rendezvous with a suitor. Additionally, in England the colour green was associated with prostitution. It is said that the green sleeves were removable and required to be worn by prostitutes as a label of their profession.^{[citation needed]}

An alternative explanation is that Lady Green Sleeves was, as a result of of her attire, incorrectly assumed to be immoral. Her "discourteous" rejection of the singers advances quite clearly makes the point that she is not.^[2]

Early literary references

In Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, written around 1602, the character Mistress Ford refers twice without any explanation to the tune of "Greensleeves," and Falstaff later exclaims: Title page of the 1602 quarto The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare featuring the fat knight Sir John Falstaff and is Shakespeares only play to deal exclusively with contemporary English life. ... This page is about the year. ... Adolf Schrödter: Falstaff and his page Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare as a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V. A fat, vainglorious, and cowardly knight, Falstaff leads the apparently wayward Prince Hal into trouble, but he...

Let the sky rain potatoes! Let it thunder to the tune of 'Greensleeves'!

All of these allusions suggest that the song was well known at that time.

Subsequent versions

• A famous Christmas song, "What Child Is This?", combines the melody of "Greensleeves" with lyrics hailing the newborn Christ, "whom angels greet with anthems sweet while shepherds watch are keeping".
• Composer Ferruccio Busoni uses the "Greensleeves" melody at the beginning of his opera Turandot (1917) though it is set in China.
• Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote his Fantasia on Greensleeves for his opera Sir John in Love (1924-28). In HKCEE and HKALE, a version of this Fantasia performed by Sinfonia of London and conducted by Sir John Barbirolli is broadcast to ensure all candidates that they have turned to the correct radio channel before the Chinese and English listening tests.
• Gustav Holst uses the melody in the fourth movement of his Second Suite in F for Military Band, "Fantasia on the Dargason", and again (albeit a different arrangement) in the finale of his later St Paul's Suite.
• The Smothers Brothers sang a modern version of "Greensleeves" with updated lyrics called "Where the Lilac Grows." It is found on their 1962 album The Two Sides of the Smothers Brothers.
• The same year (1962) saw film composer Alfred Newman use the "Greensleeves" melody throughout the film How the West Was Won. Debbie Reynolds sang the version which began, "Away, away, come away with me, to the........and I'll build you a home in the meadow."
• A refrain of the melody is heard at the very end of the Beatles song, "All You Need Is Love", amid the lyrics to "She Loves You", sung by John Lennon.
• "Greensleeves" also formed part of a quodlibet contrapuntal section in the BBC Radio 4 UK Theme by Fritz Spiegl, in which it was played alongside What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?. The UK Theme, including "Greensleeves", was broadcast each day at the start of Radio 4's morning programmes from 1973 until 2006, when it was dropped from the schedule.
• The tune of Greensleeves was frequently worked into documentaries produced by NFL Films, specifically during segments on Vince Lombardi and the 1973 Washington Redskins, frequently known as The Over-The-Hill Gang.
• Leonard Cohen reworked "Greensleeves" into his 1974 song "Leaving Green Sleeves" (off the album New Skin for the Old Ceremony).
• Many other contemporary artists played or recorded versions of this tune, whether vocal or instrumental, in their own style, including Blackmore's Night,Stephane Grapelli, Kevin Max, Jeff Beck, Al Di meola, Yngwie Malmsteen, Timo Tolkki, Vince Guaraldi, John Coltrane, Jethro Tull, The Scorpions, Neil Young, Slime, Vanessa Carlton, Rainbow, Sarah McLachlan, Derek Trucks Band, Loreena McKennitt and others.
• Allan Sherman, the famed parodist, did his own version called "Sir Greenbaum".
• During a "Stump the Band" segment on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, an audience member sang a ditty called "Green Stamps," about a grocery clerk, to that tune. The refrain began, Green Stamps were all she gave...
• "The Olde Year Now Away Has Fled" has the melody of "Greensleeves" with different lyrics. Versions have been performed by Áine Minogue and Alfred Deller (in which the title is actually "Greensleeves" with different lyrics).
• A jazz version is to be found in the soundtrack to Carry On Henry.
• Sections of it are played on the piano in the background to Flanders and Swann's comic monologue "Greensleeves", telling a fictional tale of its composition, in their revue At the Drop of a Hat.
• A cover appeared on Tongues by Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) and Steve Reid.

The 1995 re-release album cover of White Christmas A Christmas song is a song which is normally sung during the Christmas period, and usually has lyrical content addressing the holiday, the winter season, or both. ... What Child Is This? is a Christmas carol lyrically written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix to the melody of Greensleeves. Although the chorus changes from verse to verse, many recorded versions simply use the first chorus throughout, in part due to the rather unfestive content of the second. ... Ferruccio Busoni Ferruccio Busoni (April 1, 1866 – July 27, 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, music teacher and conductor. ... A statue of Ralph Vaughan Williams in Dorking. ... The Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE, 香港中學會考) is a standardized examination which most local students sit for at the end of their 5-year secondary education. ... The Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE, 香港高級程度會考), or more commonly known as A-level, conducted by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), is normally taken by senior students at the end of their matriculation in Hong Kong. ... The Sinfonia of London is an Orchestra based in London founded by Muir Mathieson, the director of music for Rank Films in 1955 for the recording of film music. ... Sir John (Giovanni Battista) Barbirolli (December 2, 1899 - July 29, 1970), was a British conductor and cellist who led the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, among many others. ... Gustav Holst Gustav Holst (September 21, 1874, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire - May 25, 1934, London) [1] [2] was an English composer and was a music teacher for over 20 years. ... The Second Suite in F for Military Band (Op. ... Gustav Holst Introduction (Op. ... The Smothers Brothers are an American music-and-comedy team, formed by real-life brothers Tom Smothers (born 1937) and Dick Smothers (born 1939). ... Alfred Newman (March 17, 1900 – February 17, 1970) was a major American composer of music for films. ... How the West Was Won is an epic 1962 western film which follows four generations of a family (starting as the Prescotts) as they move ever westward, from western New York state to the Pacific Ocean. ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... Music sample All You Need Is Love ( file info) Problems? See media help. ... She Loves You is a hit song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, originally recorded by the The Beatles for release as a single in 1963. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... A quodlibet is a piece of music which combines several different melodies in counterpoint, usually popular tunes, and often in a light-hearted manner. ... Counterpoint is a very general feature of music (especially prominent in much Western music) whereby two or more melodic strands occur simultaneously - in separate voices, either literally or metaphorically (if the music is instrumental). ... The BBC Radio 4 UK Theme is a piece of music composed by Fritz Spiegl, played every morning on BBC Radio 4. ... Fritz Spiegl (27 January 1926 - 23 March 2003) was was born at Zurndorf, Austria, the son of an agricultural merchant and his Jewish wife. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows. ... Vincent Thomas Lombardi (June 11, 1913 – September 3, 1970) was one of the most successful head coaches in the history of American football. ... For other uses, see Redskins (disambiguation). ... Leonard Norman Cohen, CC (born September 21, 1934 in Westmount, Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. ... New Skin for the Old Ceremony was the Canadian poet, novelist, and songwriter Leonard Cohens fourth studio album. ... Blackmores Night is a Renaissance-inspired folk rock band led by Ritchie Blackmore (electric guitar and acoustic guitar) and Candice Night (lyricist and lead vocals). ... Stephane Grappelli (January 26, 1908 - December 1, 1997) was a pioneer jazz violinist who founded the quintet of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with Django Reinhardt. ... Kevin Max (born August 17, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, and poet. ... Geoffrey Arnold (Jeff) Beck (born June 24, 1944 to Arnold and Ethel Beck in Wallington, Greater London) is an English rock guitarist. ... Yngwie J. Malmsteen (born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck, June 30, 1963) is a guitarist from Sweden who achieved widespread acclaim in the 1980s due to his technical proficiency and fusion of classical music elements with heavy rock guitar. ... Timo Tolkki (born March 3, 1966, in Klaukkala, Finland) is the guitarist, songwriter and producer of the Finnish power metal band Stratovarius. ... Vince Guaraldi (July 17, 1928 - February 6, 1976) was an American jazz musician and pianist best known for composing music for animated adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip. ... “Coltrane” redirects here. ... Jethro Tull are a Grammy Award winning English rock band that formed in 1967-1968[1]. Their music is marked by the distinctive vocal style and lead flute work of front man Ian Anderson. ... The Scorpions were a beat goup, originally from Manchester in Engeland, but they have become popular notably in the Netherlands. ... Neil Percival Young[1] OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and film director from Winnipeg, Manitoba. ... Slime was a German punk rock band, founded in 1979 and disbanded in 1994. ... Vanessa Lee Carlton (born August 16, 1980) is an American pop singer, songwriter, and pianist best known for the single A Thousand Miles from her debut album, Be Not Nobody (2002), which was certified platinum in the U.S. The commercial failure of Carltons second album, Harmonium (2004), led... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC,[2] OBC[2] (born January 28, 1968) is a Grammy-winning Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. ... The Derek Trucks Band was formed in 1994, and has been Derek Truckss primary musical outlet ever since. ... Loreena McKennitt live on stage Loreena McKennitt, C.M. (b. ... Allan Sherman (sometimes incorrectly Alan and Allen), November 30, 1924 – November 20, 1973, was an American musician, parodist, satirist, and television producer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Áine Minogue is a harpist born in Borrisokane, County Tipperary, Ireland, now living in New England in the U.S.A. She began playing the harp at age twelve. ... Alfred Deller (31 May 1912 – 16 July 1979) was an English singer, one of the main figures in popularising the use of the countertenor voice in renaissance and baroque music. ... Carry On Henry is the 21st of the Carry On series. ... Michael Flanders Donald Swann The British duo Flanders and Swann were the actor and singer Michael Flanders (1922–1975) and the composer, pianist and linguist Donald Swann (1923–1994) who collaborated in writing comic songs. ... At the Drop of a Hat was a musical review, described by its authors as An After-dinner Farrago. The show consisted only of the two artists, Michael Flanders & Donald Swann, sang & played the piano. ... Tongues is a 2007 album by Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid. ... Four Tet is the name used by Kieran Hebden for his electronic music-oriented solo efforts to differentiate from his work with post-rock band Fridge. ... Steve Reid is an American jazz drummer who has played with a wide range of notable artists including Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, James Brown, Fela Kuti and Sun Ra, and as a session drummer for Motown. ...

See also

• What Child Is This?

What Child Is This? is a Christmas carol lyrically written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix to the melody of Greensleeves. Although the chorus changes from verse to verse, many recorded versions simply use the first chorus throughout, in part due to the rather unfestive content of the second. ...

References

1. ^ Meg Lota Brown & Kari Boyd McBride: " Women's Roles in the Renaissance", page 101, Greenwood Press, 2005, ISBN 0-31332-210-4
2. ^ Vance Randolph: ""Unprintable" Ozark Folksongs and Folklore, Volume I, Folksongs and Music", page 47, University of Arkansas Press, 1992, ISBN 1-55728-231-5

Vance Randolph (February 23, 1892 - November 1, 1980) was a famous folklorist who studied the folklore of the Ozarks in particular. ...

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Greensleeves

• Transcription of A Handful of Pleasant Delights (1584)
• Free Piano sheet music for Greensleeves (requires a freeware Windows- or Mac OS-only browser plug-in installation)
• Free Piano sheet music for Greensleeves (GIF)
• Andrew Kuntz, The Fiddler's Companion: see under Greensleeves [2]
• Easybyte - piano music for Greensleeves / What Child is This
• Tablature transcription for Ukulele
• Greensleeves Sheet Music For Guitar with tabs

Samples to listen: Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ... The term Freeware refers to gratis proprietary software with closed source. ... Windows redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... An example of a GIF image. ...

• "Greensleeves" mp3
• "Greensleeves" midi