Under the Greenwood Tree

DESCRIPTION: "In summertime, when flow'rs do spring, And birds sit on the tree, Let Lords and Knights say what they will, There's none so merry as we. There's Will and Moll, with Harry and Doll, and Tom and bonny Bettee... Under the greenwood tree
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1686 (The Dancing Master)
KEYWORDS: nonballad
FOUND IN: Britain(England)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Chappell-PopularMusicOfTheOldenTime, pp. 541-544, "Under the Greenwood Tree" (1 text, 1 tune)
Chappell/Wooldridge-OldEnglishPopularMusic II, pp. 53-54, "Oh, How They Frisk It, or, Leather Apron, or Under the Greenwood Tree" (1 tune; partial text)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Dame Durden" (form)
cf. "Widdicombe Fair (II)" (form)
SAME TUNE:
cf. Bronson's notes to "Robin Hood and the Monk" [Child 119]
NOTES [31 words]: This may not be traditional, but it appears to be the earliest example of this form of "lusty lads and lasses are merry" sort of song, so I put it in here for cross-reference purposes. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.2
File: ChWII053

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