Fiddler’s Green is a German band from Erlangen that plays independent Irish… Read Full Bio ↴Fiddler’s Green is a German band from Erlangen that plays independent Irish speedfolk, formed in 1990. Their first concert under the name of Fiddler’s Green was at the Newcomer-Festival in Erlangen in November 1990, where the band came second. The first album, entitled "Fiddler’s Green", was released in 1992, and was a mixture of live and studio tracks and of traditional and self-written songs. It was released on their own label, Deaf Shepherd Recordings. The band has been signed to a major label, but chose to go back to being independent.

The band has kept up the mix of traditional Irish or Scottish songs and self-written tracks, though the self-written tracks have progressively become less and less folky. The band's influences are wide and varied, but obviously heavily influenced by Celtic rock bands like the Pogues, the Waterboys and Great Big Sea. Recent albums also see a clear influence from Gothic rock music. Having enjoyed growing success in and around Germany, the band reached 1000 played concerts in 2004 (the only band member to play them all is bass player Rainer Schulz), which was celebrated with a concert at Castle Hoheneck. This concert was filmed and released on two DVDs: Celebrate! and Jubilate! The concert saw participation from former band members and other guest musicians. Main lyric and music writer Peter Pathos has left the band in summer 2006 and was replaced by Patrick 'Pat' Prziwara. A live DVD Folk's not dead was released to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary in 2010

Members:
Ralf 'Albi' Albers - Vocals, Guitar, Bouzouki
Tobi Heindl (Tobias Anton Heindl) - Violin, Vocals (since 2000)
Rainer Schulz - Bass
Stefan Klug - Accordion, bodhrán (since 1991)
Frank Jooss - Drums, percussion (since 2001)
Patrick 'Pat' Prziwara - Guitar, vocals (since 2006)

Former members:
Dr. Robert Oppel (1990 - 1991) - Violin
Eric Obst (1990 - 1995) - Drums
Wolfram Kellner (1995 - 2000) -Drums
Tobias Rempe (1991 - 1995) - Violin
Tobias Schäfer (1995 - 2000) - Violin
Peter Pathos (Peter Müller) (1990 - 2006) - Guitar, whistle, mandola

Discography:
Fiddler’s Green (1992)
Black Sheep (1993)
King Shepherd (1995)
Make Up Your Mind (1996)
On and On (1997)
Spin Around (1998)
Stagebox (1999) (Live)
Another Sky (2000)
Folk Raider (2002)
Nu Folk (2003)
Celebrate! (2005) (Live)
Celebrate! DVD (2005) (Live)
Jubilate! DVD (2005) (Live)
Drive Me Mad! (2007)
Sports Day at Killaloe (2009)
Folk's not dead DVD (2010) (Live)
Wall of Folk (2011)
Winners and Boozers (2013)

Greensleeves
Fiddler's Green Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Alas my love you do me wrong
To cast me off discourteously
And I have loved you oh so long
Delighting in your company

Your vows you've broken, like my heart,
Oh, why did you so enrapture me?
Now I remain in a world apart

But my heart, it remains in captivity

Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady Greensleeves

I have been ready at your hand
To grant whatever thou would'st crave
I have waged both life and land
Your love and goodwill for to have

If you intend to be this way
It does the more enrapture me

And even so I still remain
A lover in captivity

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Fiddler's Green's song "Greensleeves" tell a tale of unrequited love and heartbreak. The singer is addressing their beloved, expressing their sadness and disappointment at being cast aside without proper consideration. Despite being deeply in love for a long time and relishing in each other's company, the loved one has broken their promises, causing both the singer's heart and their own vows to be shattered.

The singer laments their current state, feeling as though they are now in a world of their own, separated from their beloved. Although physically apart, their heart remains captive to the memory of their love. "Greensleeves" was the source of immense joy and delight for the singer, symbolizing their lover. It was their heart of gold, and nobody but their lady Greensleeves could replace that love and happiness.

The singer expresses their dedication and willingness to grant any request their beloved may have had. They have devoted their life and sacrificed everything, including their own lands, in the hopes of gaining their love and affection. The singer also reveals that even though their beloved has treated them poorly, it only further enraptures them, suggesting that their love is unwavering and enduring, even in the face of adversity. The song concludes by portraying the singer as a lover who remains trapped in their love for their beloved, despite the pain it may cause.

Line by Line Meaning

Alas my love you do me wrong
Unfortunately, my love, you have treated me unfairly

To cast me off discourteously
To dismiss me rudely

And I have loved you oh so long
And I have loved you for a very long time

Delighting in your company
Finding joy in being with you

Your vows you've broken, like my heart
You have broken your promises, just like you have broken my heart

Oh, why did you so enrapture me?
Oh, why did you captivate me in such a way?

Now I remain in a world apart
Now I am separate from the world

But my heart, it remains in captivity
But my heart is still held captive

Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my only source of happiness

Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my pleasure

Greensleeves was my heart of gold
Greensleeves was my most precious possession