Greensleeves
The London Orchestra Lyrics


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

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 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 you would crave,
I have both wagered life and land,
Your love and good-will for to have.

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

If you intend thus to disdain,
It does the more enrapture me,
And even so, I still remain
A lover in captivity.

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

My men were clothed all in green,
And they did ever wait on thee;
All this was gallant to be seen,
And yet thou wouldst not love me.

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

Thou couldst desire no earthly thing,
but still thou hadst it readily.
Thy music still to play and sing;
And yet thou wouldst not love me.

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

Well, I will pray to God on high,
that thou my constancy mayst see,
And that yet once before I die,
Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me.

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

Ah, Greensleeves, now farewell, adieu,
To God I pray to prosper thee,
For I am still thy lover true,
Come once again and love me.

Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight,




Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my lady Greensleeves.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The London Orchestra's song "Greensleeves" tell the story of a man who is deeply in love with a woman named Greensleeves. He describes how she was his joy, his delight, and the center of his world. However, it becomes clear that she has broken her vows to him, and he is heartbroken by this betrayal. Despite this, he remains captivated by her, always ready to grant her wishes, wagering his life and land for her love and good-will.


The man speaks of his men being clothed in green and waiting on Greensleeves, but she does not return his love in spite of all the devotion he has shown her. Despite her rejection, he prays to God that she may see his constancy and that she will love him again before he dies. The song ends with a farewell to Greensleeves, with the man still a true and loyal lover, wishing her well and hoping for a reunion.


Line by Line Meaning

Greensleeves was all my joy
The singer once found happiness and comfort in the presence of someone named Greensleeves.


Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was the source of the singer's pleasure and enjoyment in life.


Greensleeves was my heart of gold
Greensleeves was everything to the singer; they were the most important person in their life.


And who but my lady Greensleeves.
No one else but Greensleeves could hold such a significant place in the artist's life.


Your vows you've broken, like my heart,
Greensleeves betrayed the artist, just as they broke the promises they made to the artist.


Oh, why did you so enrapture me?
The singer wonders why Greensleeves ever captivated their heart in the first place, leading them to feel so deeply for someone who would eventually hurt them.


Now I remain in a world apart
The singer feels isolated and separated from the rest of the world due to the pain Greensleeves has caused them.


But my heart remains in captivity.
Despite the pain Greensleeves has caused, the artist's heart still belongs to them and cannot let go of their love for them.


I have been ready at your hand,
The artist has always been available for Greensleeves, willing to do whatever they wanted or needed.


To grant whatever you would crave,
The artist has always been willing to give Greensleeves anything they wanted or asked for.


I have both wagered life and land,
The singer has risked everything, even their life and property, in order to win Greensleeves' love.


Your love and good-will for to have.
All the artist has ever wanted is the love and affection of Greensleeves.


If you intend thus to disdain,
If Greensleeves is purposely showing disrespect or contempt towards the singer,


It does the more enrapture me,
It only makes the singer love Greensleeves more, despite their behavior.


And even so, I still remain
Regardless of Greensleeves' actions, the singer's love for them has not diminished.


A lover in captivity.
The artist's heart is still captured and held by the love they have for Greensleeves.


My men were clothed all in green,
The artist's attendants or followers wore green clothing as a symbol of their loyalty to Greensleeves.


And they did ever wait on thee;
The singer's men were always ready and eager to serve Greensleeves.


All this was gallant to be seen,
The display of loyalty and devotion to Greensleeves was impressive and admirable.


And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Despite all of the loyalty and devotion shown to them, Greensleeves did not return the artist's love.


Thou couldst desire no earthly thing,
The artist believes that Greensleeves could have anything they wanted in the world, but


but still thou hadst it readily.
Even though Greensleeves had everything they desired, they still did not love the artist.


Thy music still to play and sing;
Greensleeves had a talent or passion for music, which they continued to pursue despite not returning the singer's love.


And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Despite all of their talents and abilities, Greensleeves did not return the artist's love, causing them great pain and sadness.


Well, I will pray to God on high,
The singer is turning to a higher power to plead for Greensleeves to see the depth of their love.


that thou my constancy mayst see,
The singer hopes that Greensleeves will recognize the strength and enduring nature of their love.


And that yet once before I die,
The singer wants Greensleeves to love them back before they themselves pass away.


Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me.
The artist wants Greensleeves to agree to love them in return, and not continue to reject them.


Ah, Greensleeves, now farewell, adieu,
The artist is saying goodbye to Greensleeves, unsure if they will ever be together again.


To God I pray to prosper thee,
The singer wishes the best for Greensleeves, and is hoping that a higher power will grant them happiness and success.


For I am still thy lover true,
The singer's love for Greensleeves will never falter, even if they must part ways.


Come once again and love me.
The artist is asking Greensleeves to return and love them once more, despite the heartache they have endured.


Greensleeves was all my joy
Reiteration of the first line to reinforce how much Greensleeves meant to the artist.


Greensleeves was my delight,
Reiteration of how Greensleeves brought the artist pleasure and happiness.


Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
Reiteration of how significant and essential Greensleeves was to the singer.


And who but my lady Greensleeves.
Final reiteration that no one else could hold such a significant place in the artist's heart as Greensleeves did.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLOMBIAR, TRADITIONAL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Duane Norton

Thanks for the background information and the absolutely beautiful video.

skalarek1000

.Piękna muzyka i wspaniale skomponowane nagranie z pięknymi efektami - serdeczne pozdrawiam,miłego weekendu życzę

Akbari khatoon khatoon

WOW

NANCYFLORESSANTOS

Am glad you enjoyed watching it.  Happy Holidays 2014.-N

Sylvia Brunger

Lovely. Thanks.

Károlyné Szépvölgyi

Kedves Nancy csodálatos ez a videó film.
Nagyon tetszik ez a csodálatos zene, Nagyon köszönöm.
Üdvözletem, sok szeretettel Budapestről Klára Szépvölgyi

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