Patrick Doyle (born 6 April 1953, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK) is a cla… Read Full Bio ↴Patrick Doyle (born 6 April 1953, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK) is a classically trained composer. A longtime collaborator of actor/director Kenneth Branagh, Doyle is known for his work scoring such critically acclaimed films as Henry V (1989), Sense and Sensibility (1995), Hamlet (1996), and Gosford Park (2001), as well as such noteworthy blockbusters as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Eragon (2006), Thor (2011), and Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). Doyle has been nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.

Doyle was born on 6 April 1953 in Scotland and graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama in 1975. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama in 2001. He joined the Renaissance Theatre Company in 1987 as composer and musical director creating scores for highly successful productions of such plays as Hamlet, As You Like It, and Look Back in Anger. Doyle's film score debut occurred in 1989 when actor/director Kenneth Branagh commissioned Doyle to compose a score for the Renaissance Film's production of Henry V. The song "Non Nobis, Domine" from the film was subsequently awarded the 1989 Ivor Novello Award for Best Film Theme. He has since scored nine Kenneth Branagh films including Dead Again (1991), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), Hamlet (1996), Love's Labour's Lost (2000), As You Like It (2006), Sleuth (2007), and Thor (2011).

In October 1997, shortly after scoring Great Expectations, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Doyle was diagnosed with leukemia. He managed to complete his score for the animated fantasy Quest for Camelot (1998) in hospital whilst undergoing treatment. Doyle made a full recovery.

In 1998 Patrick Doyle’s Music from the Movies concert, sponsored by Leukaemia Research UK was staged at the Royal Albert Hall. It was directed by Kenneth Branagh and starred a host of international stars including Emma Thompson, Sir Derek Jacobi, Dame Judi Dench, Alan Rickman, Imelda Staunton, Richard E. Grant, Adrian Lester, and Robbie Coltrane.

He has composed a series of classical works outside of films that include "The Thistle and the Rose", commissioned in 1990 by Prince Charles in honor of the 90th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth I; the violin romance "Corarsik", written for Emma Thompson's birthday; the album "Impressions of America: A Suite for Orchestra"; and the symphonic tone poem "Tam O Shanter", commissioned by the Scottish Schools Orchestra Trust.

Doyle has recently completed the scores for Marvel Studios Thor (2011) and the 20th Century Fox film Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011). He is currently working on the upcoming Pixar film Brave (2012), directed by Mark Andrews, after which he will be working on the Sovereign Films film Effie directed by Richard Laxton.

Sigh No More Ladies
Patrick Doyle Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh nor more;
Men were deceivers ever;
One foot in sea and one on shore,
To one thing constant never;
Then sigh not so,
But let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny;
Converting all your sounds of woe

Into. Hey nonny, nonny.

Sing no more ditties, sing no mo,
Or dumps so dull and heavy;
The fraud of men was ever so,
Since summer first was leavy.
Then sigh not so,
But let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny,

Converting all your sounds of woe
Into. Hey, nonny, nonny.

Overall Meaning

The song Sigh No More Ladies by Patrick Doyle is a song about the fickleness of men in love. The singer urges women to stop sighing and lamenting over men who are not faithful, but to be joyful and carefree. The first verse describes how men have always been deceivers, never being constant or faithful to one thing or person. The singer encourages the women to not be distressed by this, but to let go of the men and be happy. The phrase "Hey nonny, nonny" at the end of each verse is a cheerful expression that reinforces the idea of being carefree and joyful.

The second verse continues on the same theme with the singer telling women to stop singing sad songs about men being untrustworthy because it has always been that way. The phrase "summer first was leavy" means since the beginning of time. The singer again urges women to be happy and carefree and to turn their sadness into cheerful nonny nonny's.

The song is a commentary on the role of women in relationships and how they are expected to bear the brunt of men's unfaithfulness. The singer is trying to encourage women to not be so affected by men's actions and to remain joyful and carefree. It is a message that is still relevant today, especially as women continue to fight for gender equality.

Line by Line Meaning

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh nor more;
Stop lamenting, ladies! Do not sigh anymore.

Men were deceivers ever;
Men have always been deceptive.

One foot in sea and one on shore,
Men can't decide between two things, they are wavering.

To one thing constant never;
Men are never constant or committed to one thing.

Then sigh not so,
Don't sigh over them.

But let them go,
Let them go and move on.

And be you blithe and bonny;
Be cheerful and lively.

Converting all your sounds of woe
Transform all your sad and mournful noises.

Into. Hey nonny, nonny.
Into happy and carefree songs.

Sing no more ditties, sing no mo,
Stop singing sad songs.

Or dumps so dull and heavy;
Or depressing and dreary tunes.