The lyrics and musical piece entitled Greensleeves was originally composed by Henry VIII for his lover and future queen consort Anne Boleyn.
In 1962 the lyrics ‘Home in the Meadow’, written by Sammy Cahn were set to the Greensleeves tune and sung by Debbie Reynolds as the theme song to the movie, How The West Was Won.
This Metrocolor epic-Western film narrated by Spencer Tracy was launched in 1963 and featured an all-star cast including; Carroll Baker, Lee J. Cobb, Henry Fonda, Carolyn Jones, Karl Malden, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Robert Preston, Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart, Eli Wallach, John Wayne, and Richard Widmark.
GREENSLEEVES LYRICS
Abbreviated: Complete Lyrics Below
Alas, my love, you do me wrong, to cast me off discourteously.
For I have loved you oh so long, delighting in your company.
Chorus:
Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleeves was my delight,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold, and who but my lady Greensleeves.
The gown she wore like a maiden queen was velvet like the sky above.
Her sleeves were made of silk and green, and silk and green was my love.
Chorus:
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, and my heart remains in captivity.
(Chorus)
Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleeves was my delight,
I thought yours was a heart of gold, but my lady, my Greensleeves, decieveth
This I will pray to God on high, that thou my constancy might see,
And that yet once before I die, thou will finally say that you love me.
MOD CHORUS:
Greensleeves, farewell, adieu, to God I pray to prosper thee,
For I am still thy lover true, come once again and love me.
Chorus (modified)
Greensleeves was all my jot. Greensleeves was all my thought,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold, I loved nobody but Greensleeves.
HOME IN THE MEADOW LYRICS
Away, Away, Come away with me
Where the grass grows wild, where the winds blow free,
Away, Away, Come away with me
And I’ll build you a home in the meadow.
Come, Come. There’s a wondrous land
For the hopeful heart, for the willing hand,
Come, Come. There’s a wondrous land
Where I’ll build you a home in the meadow.
The stars, the stars, Oh how bright they’ll shine
On a world that the Gods must have helped design,
The stars, the stars, Oh how bright they’ll shine
On our home that we’ll build in the meadow.
Come, Come. There’s a wondrous land
For the hopeful heart, for the willing hand,
Come, Come. There’s a wondrous land
And I’ll build you a home in the meadow.
GREENSLEEVES LYRICS
Abbreviated: Complete Lyrics Below
Alas, my love, you do me wrong, to cast me off discourteously.
For I have loved you well and long, delighting in your company.
Chorus:
Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleeves was my delight,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold, and who but my lady greensleeves.
Alas, my love, that you should own a heart of wanton vanity,
So must I meditate alone upon your insincerity.
(Chorus)
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.
(Chorus)
If you intend thus to disdain, it does the more enrapture me,
And even so, I still remain a lover in captivity.
(Chorus)
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.
(Chorus)
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.
(Chorus)
I bought thee kerchiefs for thy head, that were wrought fine and gallantly;
I kept thee at both board and bed, which cost my purse well-favouredly.
(Chorus)
I bought thee petticoats of the best, the cloth so fine as it might be;
I gave thee jewels for thy chest, and all this cost I spent on thee.
(Chorus)
Thy smock of silk, both fair and white, with gold embroidered gorgeously;
Thy petticoat of sendal right, and these I bought thee gladly.
(Chorus)
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.
(Chorus)
They set thee up, they took thee down, they served thee with humility;
Thy foot might not once touch the ground, tnd yet thou wouldst not love me.
(Chorus)
‘Tis, 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.
(Chorus)
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 jot. Greensleeves was my delight,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold, and who but my lady Greensleeves.
