Greensleeves

Lore & Background

A broadside ballad titled "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves" was registered by Richard Jones at the London Stationers' Company in September 1580. Six more related ballads followed within a year, including contributions by Edward White, Henry Carr, and William Elderton. The tune appears in late 16th- and early 17th-century sources such as Ballet's MS Lute Book and Het Luitboek van Thysius, as well as manuscripts at the Seeley Historical Library, University of Cambridge.

A common myth holds that King Henry VIII wrote "Greensleeves," but the piece is based on an Italian style of composition that did not reach England until after his death. The lyrics have been interpreted as referring to a promiscuous woman, due to the sexual connotations of the word "green" (e.g., "a green gown"), but the earliest such association dates only to 1675. An alternative interpretation is that the lady's rejection of the singer suggests she is not promiscuous. In Nevill Coghill's translation of The Canterbury Tales, green is described as "the colour of lightness in love."

The melody is compatible with several ground bass progressions, including the romanesca, passamezzo antico, and Andalusian progression. The tune was used as the slow march of the London Trained Bands in the 16th and 17th centuries, and later as the quick march of the 7th (City of London) Battalion London Regiment during World War I.

Reader's Guide

"Greensleeves" holds a significant place in English cultural history as one of the earliest documented folk songs, with its registration in 1580 marking a clear point of origin. Its melody has proven remarkably adaptable, serving as the basis for the Christmas carol "What Child Is This?" (1865) and appearing in works by composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams (Fantasia on Greensleeves, 1934) and Gustav Holst (Second Suite in F). The tune has been used in film (How the West Was Won, 1962), television (Lassie), and by ice cream vans in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. It also inspired songs by Jacques Brel ("Amsterdam") and Leonard Cohen ("Leaving Green Sleeves"). The persistent myth linking it to Henry VIII is debunked by the article, which notes the Italian style postdates his reign. The song's lyrical ambiguity—whether Lady Green Sleeves was a prostitute or a virtuous woman—remains unresolved, reflecting the complexity of historical interpretation. Its use in Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor (c. 1597) further cements its literary and cultural resonance.

Did You Know?

• The melody is the basis for the Christmas carol "What Child Is This?", written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix.
• In Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, the character Mistress Ford refers twice to "the tune of 'Greensleeves'".