Greensleeves
Deller Consort Lyrics
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To cast me off discourteously,
And I have loved you so long,
Delighting in your company.
Chorus
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Greensleeves was my delight,
And who but my Lady Greensleeves.
I have been ready at your hand
To grant whatever you would crave,
I have both waged life and land,
Your love and good will to have.
Chorus
I bought thee petticoats of the best,
The cloth so fine as it might be,
I gave thee jewels for the chest,
And all this cost I spent on thee.
Chorus
Well, I pray to God on high,
That thoumy constancy may'st see,
For I am still thy lover true;
Come once again and love me.
Chorus
The lyrics to Deller Consort's song "Greensleeves" tell a story of unrequited love and heartbreak. The singer, who appears to be a man, addresses a woman whom he loves deeply and has loved for a long time, but who has cast him off discourteously. Despite her treatment of him, he still delights in her company and laments her rejection of him. The chorus tells of how Greensleeves was his joy, his delight, and his heart of gold, and how it was his Lady Greensleeves whom he loved.
The singer goes on to say that he would do anything for his love, having both waged life and land, and being ready to grant her every desire. He even bought her the best petticoats and fine jewels at great personal expense. Nevertheless, she has still cast him off. The singer prays that she will see his constancy and come back to him as he is still her true lover.
The lyrics to "Greensleeves" have been interpreted in various ways over the years, with some suggesting that it is a song about a lost love, while others speculate that it may have had more political overtones in the context of the time it was written. Regardless of its original meaning, the song has endured as a classic example of English folk music.
Line by Line Meaning
Alas, my love, you do me wrong,
Oh dear, my love, you have treated me in an impolite way.
To cast me off discourteously,
You have rudely dismissed me from your life.
And I have loved you so long,
I have cherished our relationship for quite some time.
Delighting in your company.
I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with you.
Chorus
The following lines comprise the chorus.
Greensleeves was all my joy,
I found great happiness in Greensleeves.
Greensleeves was my delight,
Greensleeves brought me immense pleasure.
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
Greensleeves was very precious to me.
And who but my Lady Greensleeves.
Who else could it be but you, my Lady Greensleeves.
I have been ready at your hand
I have always been available to you.
To grant whatever you would crave,
I have been willing to fulfill your every desire.
I have both waged life and land,
I have given up everything for you.
Your love and good will to have.
I have sought your love and approval.
Chorus
The following lines comprise the chorus.
I bought thee petticoats of the best,
I purchased the finest garments for you.
The cloth so fine as it might be,
The fabric was of the highest quality.
I gave thee jewels for the chest,
I gifted you with valuable jewelry to adorn your chest.
And all this cost I spent on thee.
I invested a great deal of money in you.
Chorus
The following lines comprise the chorus.
Well, I pray to God on high,
I implore the Almighty above.
That thoumy constancy may'st see,
May you recognize my unwavering loyalty.
For I am still thy lover true;
I remain your faithful lover.
Come once again and love me.
Please return to me and reciprocate my love.
Chorus
The following lines comprise the chorus.
Contributed by Sarah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Milena
Amo esta cancion hace mas de 30 años, desde que la oi por primera vez, ahora se lo que su letra significa, gracias por subirla.
shavedchimp
great and interesting video - the footage is of timeless Amsterdam I presume? It's like a pop video but filmed 70 or 80 years ago - it has a contemporary feel